A diesel spill and heavy holiday traffic is making it slow going north of Auckland.

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

Traffic was backed up for a time this morning after a car rolled, blocking the road in Onehunga.

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

Crashes mixed with the usual holiday traffic mean people travelling back to Wellington will be stuck in delays of at least 45 minutes.

Boy racers black out an intersection with tyre skidmarks.

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.

City dwellers heading out of town for New Year's Eve celebrations were waiting in long queues yesterday and the traffic chaos is likely to continue today.

Springs Junction - the tiny settlement connecting State Highways 7 and 65 - now boasts two food caravans as well as a service station and cafe both operating 24/7.

Traffic delays north of Wellington are becoming a daily occurrence as capital residents head away for New Year.

One person has died and another two been badly injured in separate crashes as holiday traffic queues across the North Island.

Motorists heading out of Wellington face a nightmare two-hour gridlock north of the capital.

It was a beautiful Boxing Day to be outside but the lure of heavy discounts was too strong thousands who paced the malls on the hunt for a bargain.

Keep an eye on traffic conditions as they unfold through the Herald's live blog.

Little black pig's bid for freedom slows Christmas traffic.

Here is a list of traffic hot spot areas to avoid.

An elderly woman has died after being hit by a car in Takapuna, on Auckland's North Shore. She is believed to be the first person killed in holiday period.

​A person has died from a heart attack while in Christmas traffic near Wellington.

A man has died from a heart attack while in Christmas traffic near Wellington.

A bus has broken down in the Auckland International Airport drop-off zone during the airport's busiest day of the year.

Aucklanders are being urged to plan ahead to avoid delays if they are getting away for the Christmas break.

A boy is in critical condition after being hit by a car in Whangarei this afternoon.

An overhead traffic light pole that crashed into the middle of a busy intersection may have been suffering from earthquake stress.

Just four sleeps until Christmas, and things are officially crazy. Winter storms have cancelled an estimated 400 flights at this US airport.

Billowing smoke from a house fire is affecting visibility on Auckland's Southwestern Motorway this morning.

Four businesses caught in the disruption of building Auckland's new underground railway have asked for compensation.

A Wellington kitten had a close shave this morning after becoming trapped in rush-hour traffic.

Auckland Airport chief Adrian Littlewood says they're spending $1m a day on infrastructure, but warns travellers need to allow more time to get to the airport.

Auckland Airport users are increasingly frustrated with the journey to and through the airport and are venting and suggesting solutions to congestion.