Holiday traffic remains heavy and is clogging the roads ahead of the long weekend, with crashes, roadworks and a car fire adding to the mayhem.

People are dying at Auckland's worst intersections - and the council and police are working together to stop the carnage.

With two consecutive long weekends approaching for some Kiwis, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is urging travellers to plan their journeys.

A trial for a 15-seat autonomous shuttle is about to start at Christchurch Airport.

KE240117NADWASHERS1.JPG: Colourful window washers at the intersections of Kamo Rd and Western Hills Dr. PHOTO/NZME KE240117NADWASHERS3.JPG:

A tree has fallen and power lines are down on Queenstown-Glenorchy Rd, leaving the road blocked in both directions.

Power has been restored to hundreds of households across Auckland after wild weather wreaked havoc at the weekend.

State Highway 73 will reopen to single-lane traffic past the Otira slip tomorrow, but with delays, and the rail line is expected to open on Wednesday.

The weather gods delivered a king-hit of heavy rains and high winds over the country yesterday, causing flash flooding and closing off roads due to slips.

See which region isn't afraid to whinge when they've had a gutsful with roadworks.

NZTA is prioritising clearing Lewis Pass, the main transport link between Picton and Christchurch since November's big earthquake.

Idiot throwing nails onto highway could face serious charges, warn police.

COMMENT: Want to know why the road toll is higher than it should be? Bernadine Oliver-Kerby says she knows the answer.

What happens when a town triples in size overnight? Made with funding from NZ On Air.

A safety report has revealed what Kiwis fear the most.

COMMENT: We all want better roads, rail and walking and cycling facilities, but almost no one wants to dig deeper into their pockets.

A repeat drink driver offender wants to ensure he stays off the road when he's intoxicated, but ACC refuse to fund his alcohol interlock.

A car and a freight train have collided at Matamata in Waikato.

Temperatures in the 30s this week mean more work for Quality Roading Services (QRS) routine maintenance manager Gary Jones. He said

Too many people are dying in road crashes because they don't put on their seatbelts, say police.

One man had serious injuries and had to be airlifted to hospital.

The ride-hailing giant Uber is extending an olive branch to cities - in the form of data that drivers have coveted for years.

Auckland commuters can groan in agreement with a report that reveals the city has the worst travel times and reliability in Australia and New Zealand.

When the official holiday period finished at 6am yesterday there had been 15 fatal crashes on New Zealand roads since the Friday before Christmas.

A beautician paid a stranger to take her speeding points for $530 also posted pictures of dangerous driving selfies on Facebook.

Readers discussing the holiday toll have suggested the solutions lie in law improvement rather than law enforcement.

A wife who found her husband with a younger woman has been accused of ramming his van off the road before smashing into his lover's vehicle too.

Both the holiday road toll and last year's entire toll are the worst they've been in years.

Traffic on most main highways should be easing within the next hour or so after heavy congestion yesterday and earlier today.

A leading rental car company has come up with a novel way to beat the traffic blues at Auckland Airport - scooters.