A man has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a woman hit by a car while picnicking with a friend on the roadside north of Wellington last month.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested over the death of an elderly Wanganui woman in a hit-and-run yesterday.

Four car parking spaces have been removed from the scene of a fatal crash involving a cyclist in Auckland earlier this week.

Herald readers have reacted strongly to a series of cycling deaths in the past week.

Steven Joyce is considering "regulatory changes" after crashes left five cyclists dead and two critically injured this week.