A young man speeding at 174 km/h because he was 'late for lunch' is one example of some appalling driving in the holiday break.

Drivers appear to be taking more care on the roads over the Christmas period, with police noting a reduction in road crashes this year.

The family of a father-of-two hit by a car yesterday are grieving for 'a wonderful family man'.

Police have urged motorists travelling north from Wellington to exercise patience in 'extremely heavy' traffic today. Two people have so far been killed on NZ's roads since the official start of the holiday road toll period.

One of NZ's most experienced road policing officers has resigned, saying the job is taking too great a toll on his health.

The festive season is a time of excess. But as the country’s top traffic officer Paula Rose tells Alan Perrott, there is little cheer in counting its cost.

The driver of a car that collided with a group of cyclists, killing three, has admitted causing their deaths.

Fleeing from police brings little chance of escape but a much higher chance of further charges.

What a great incentive to stop when the police ask you, because if you don't you might die as a result of your own stupidity.

The head of the police watchdog body is again calling for a rethink on pursuit policy after two more deaths from high-speed smashes.

Police cannot stop chasing offenders or the practice of driving off will become more common, the Police Minister says.

A traffic control worker has said a person had been hit by a bus but did not have anymore information.

All police chases which led to a record 14 deaths this year were sparked by minor offences, rather than serious crimes, figures released to the Herald under the Official Information Act reveal.