Increased road toll for Whanganui and surrounding regions for year to date

Tributes to the seven victims, including two children, killed in a horror smash at Waverley in June.

Whanganui and most surrounding districts are experiencing their worst road toll in recent years.

As New Zealand tracks towards having the highest number of road fatalities in more than a decade, the road toll for the year to date has risen in Whanganui, Ruapehu and South Taranaki. The toll for Rangitīkei is the same as for the same period in 2017.

The Ministry of Transport compiles the figures for road deaths for the year.

South Taranaki's increase from one fatality between January and November 2017 to nine so far this year is mainly due to June's horror smash at Waverley which killed seven people, including two children. Four drivers and five passengers have died on South Taranaki roads so far this year.

In Whanganui, there have been four road fatalities for the year to date, compared with two last year. The victims included a driver, a passenger, a motorcyclist and a pedestrian. One of the victims was a child.

Ruapehu's tally to date is five, compared to three at the same time last year. The victims include two drivers and three passengers, two of them children.

There have been three fatalities in Rangitīkei so far this year, the same as for the corresponding period in 2017. The victims include two drivers and one pedestrian.