What's behind the horror on our roads? A look into the factors that are causing crashes.

A car has struck a pole in the south Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe.

One person has been taken to hospital after a two-car crash on Auckland's southern motorway, between the southbound Greenlane and Market Rd off ramps.

A fatal crash in the Manawatu has brought the holiday road toll to eight this evening.

Firefighters freed two people from a vehicle this afternoon after it rolled down a bank on State Highway 29 in the Lower Kaimais.

The holiday road toll now stands at seven since Friday afternoon.

A truck has rolled on Desert Road, closing the route to traffic.

Tongan community mourns two visitors' deaths in bus crash after brakes failed to work, survivors say.

A Herald investigation reveals the most dangerous roads during the Christmas holiday period.

A woman wearing a moon-boot is understood to have flipped her car into a garden after her foot got caught on the accelerator.

An elderly woman has died from injuries after being hit by a car in Takapuna this evening.

A 77-year-old man suffered suspected fractured ribs when he was knocked off his push bike in Kilgour Road, Greymouth, this morning.

A crash that closed the Terrace Tunnel in Wellington has been cleared and the tunnel has re-opened, NZTA Wellington said.

Traffic is heavy and slow on Auckland's Southern Motorway as holidaymakers and commuters begin the crawl south to escape the city for Christmas.

The family of a woman killed while walking outside an Auckland garden centre will go ahead with Christmas despite the pain of their loss.

Peng Wang, who allegedly crashed into Mediaworks journalist Karen Rutherford, has been denied the return of his Chinese passport.

A truck carrying a large amount of gravel rolled this afternoon on one of the main routes to Auckland Airport.

A truck driver is flown to hospital after a crash north of Auckland this morning.

Cattle have died after a truck rolled, closing part of State Highway 23, Waikato.

One person has been left severly injured after they collided with a power pole.

Three people were trapped after a two-car crash on Dunedin's Northern Motorway this afternoon.

An elderly woman who died in a car crash on Friday night has been named by police.

Seven people have been hurt, one seriously, in a crash at Totara Park in Auckland.

A male has been killed after the quad bike he was riding overturned in Port Waikato.

Dashcam footage has revealed a close call as an SUV and trailer spin out of control on a Nelson road.

Helicopter crews used night-vision goggles to rescue a man who had a car crash in Waihi.

The families of a crash driver who killed two and injured two others are disgusted he has been released on parole.

A Matamata pedestrian has had a miraculous escape from serious injury after being hit by a truck this morning.

Motorists should expect delays for the next two hours after two-truck crash injures two.

A Rotorua man described as an "exemplary leader" by late kaumatua Fred Whata and as an asset to his community by a judge has been