The latest crash north of Taupo which killed four, described as one the worst in 20 years.
As families hit the roads this weekend for the last day of the school holidays, road safety experts are frustrated improvements over the years haven't lowered the country's horrific road toll.
Fifteen people died during the school holidays, bringing this year's road death toll to 297 - 43 more people dead from crashes than this time last year. A mother of four, a teenager fleeing from police and a child were among the dead.
Police have called it a shameful toll, blaming the crashes on a mixture of alcohol, speed and passengers not wearing their seatbelts.
Experts spoken to by the Herald on Sunday agree there is no magic solution for driving down the number of people dying on the country's roads and a multi-pronged approach is necessary.
They recommended a number of changes, including improving youth driving training, public transport and our roads.
University of Auckland's director of transportation laboratories Doug Wilson said the country's previous astonishing road toll - 795 in 1985 - has been reduced thanks to developing New Zealand's roads, implementing different speed zones, improving driving education, and enforcing better safety in cars.
But complex factors contribute to road deaths and it has become trickier to target one thing in order to drive that figure down further, he said.
"We're getting to much harder factors to change - like human behaviour," he said.
He highlighted the fact people are still failing to buckle up. Last year 100 people who died in a crash weren't wearing seatbelts. But although people continue to make mistakes, it was key to ensure roads were safer, he said.
"As humans, we all make mistakes, but ideally we should not be killed for these mistakes, therefore we need to make our roads more forgiving.
"Research shows that even if we had everybody doing everything exactly the way we would like them to behave, we would still get about 50 per cent of the crashes that we have now."
One of New Zealand's biggest issues is its economics, he said. Despite having a land mass similar to the size of Japan, the country has far fewer people and less taxable dollars, and our rail system isn't enough to get people out of their cars.
Race car driver Greg Murphy, who has long been outspoken on the issue of driver training, says police have done everything they can and it's up to drivers to take responsibility.
"Everything gets put on the police too much. At the end of the day they're under-resourced and trying to do a multitude of jobs," he said.
"Believing you have everything sorted, and have learned everything there is to know, that could be one of your issues- thinking you're better than you are."
He was frustrated the number of deaths isn't getting any lower. "We have been in this position before, we've had this conversation so many times, and we're still in the same place."
The NZTA is reminding drivers to plan ahead to avoid delays and stay safe on the roads as school holidays draw to a close.
Traditional pinch points across the upper North Island included the state highway 1 and 2 interchange between Auckland and Coromandel, and between Puhoi and Warkworth, north of Auckland.
In the south, the alternate highway between Picton and Christchurch could be congested.
Traffic today was likely to be heavy from the middle of the day, a spokesman said.
Former Supercar racer and NZ motorsport legend Greg Murphy. Photo / Peter Meecham
Greg Murphy on dropping the road toll: What can be done?
Train our youth better
Murphy recommends increasing the learner license period from six months to a year and improving the defensive driver programmes to give teens real-world experience of being on the road. Defensive driving courses need to be less theoretical, he says.
Murphy says teenagers attempting to shortcut their way to a full driver license will take defensive driving courses where they are told of dangers, rather than being shown how to deal with them.
"We still under-train, by far," he said. "At the end of the day, (youth driver training) is the beginning of it all. When you don't do it right to start with, you end up being out of the licensing system, unprepared and still underskilled.
"When you're 16 or 17 you can be told about something at the time but it doesn't register unless there's a bum on the seat. Learning how to park and navigate a round about is not enough."
"We're a country of people who think we're good drivers, but with a horrendous road toll," Murphy says.
Having a mandatory retesting period for adult drivers who have had their licence for 10 years, or have had a significant birthday, ensured people maintained a standard of driving, and encouraged them to learn how to be a better driver - even those who think they know it all.
"You never stop learning when it comes to driving. It doesn't matter who you are, do not ever expect that the other people on the road are going to do the right thing. You need to be prepared all the time."
Parents, be aware
Restricted drivers, particularly young ones, violating the rules of their license and taking passengers who aren't allowed in their car was a big issue that parents shouldn't be complacent about, Murphy warned.
Passengers in cars could be distracting for new drivers, and only increased the number of people being killed or injured if something went wrong. Murphy warned parents to be vigilant about their kids not taking passengers, even if it made their lives easier when it comes to transportation.
"That is such an important rule that parents don't think is important. We've had so many stories of parents who are (not worried) because it makes it easier for them. It's irresponsible. Kids think they're bulletproof, and the amount of accidents and crashes that happen with kids who are carrying passengers that they shouldn't is huge."
Throw the book at drink drivers
Most recent figures from the NZTA shows alcohol was a factor in 29 per cent of fatal crashes between 2013 and 2015. Penalties range, depending on how far over the limit drivers were, and whether it was a first offence.
"I don't have a tolerance for second or third chances on that," Murphy said. Recidivist offenders should have their cars taken off them, he said. "We've gone through the drink driving thing for so long, why do we still allow it to be a talking point at the level it is? Everyone knows. It's not like, 'Oh I didn't know you weren't allowed to do that.' There's absolutely no excuse for it."
From the five years to 2016, crashes involving a foreign driver made up 6 per cent of fatal and injury crashes, with issues being that drivers forgot to stay on the left, or couldn't adapt to New Zealand's roads and changing conditions, according to the Ministry of Transport.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has previously criticised the Government for not changing the law, which allows foreigners to drive without a New Zealand license for a year. A petition was this year handed to Parliament in support of changing the rules.
Murphy says it's "blatantly obvious" New Zealand is relaxed when it comes to letting foreigners who have no experience of our roads, to be let loose with car keys and no New Zealand license. He recommended rental car companies test drivers before giving them keys.
"It's horrendous. There needs to be more emphasis on proof of ready skill, the state of licensing, and there needs to be more information provided prior to arrival. More needs to be done in that area to ensure the person is capable. Lives are more important than tourism dollars."
