Twelve people have died during this Christmas-New Year holiday road toll period, surpassing last year's total with three days to go.
Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
Waikato Police have confirmed that a person has died following a single-vehicle crash on Arapuni Road, in Waipa District, this afternoon that brought down powerlines, blocking the road in both directions.
Police say the area - in the vicinity of Monckton Road and Mellsop Road - is likely to be closed to traffic for some time and are are advising motorists to delay their travel or avoid the area.
Eleven people died during last year's holiday period. The Christmas-New Year holiday road toll period finishes at 6am on Wednesday.
Earlier, a motorcyclist died after coming off the road in Northland just after midnight.
The male rider died at the scene on State Highway 12 in Kaihu at around 12.20am. A motorcycle passenger received moderate injuries and was taken to Whangārei Hospital for treatment.
Road deaths are disproportionately high even despite pandemic lockdowns, the AA said yesterday, with 319 people killed in crashes in 2021.
The figure is only one less than the road toll for 2020, and AA policy manager Simon Douglas said it signalled that New Zealand was not doing what it could to take decisive action on road safety.
He said 100 fewer people would have been killed in 2021 if our roads were as safe as Australia's.
Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson said the government needs to stop putting money down the drain with road safety messages and start building median barriers.
He said those prone to crashes are virtually immune to road safety messages and it would be far cheaper and effective to upgrade highway systems with barriers instead.