A total of 284 people were killed on New Zealand's roads in 2011 - the lowest annual road toll since 1952.
The provisional 2011 toll is almost 100 less than in 2010 - in which 375 people died. In 2009, 384 people died on the roads, while 366 died in 2008.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee said a number of factors contributed to 2011's low toll, including greater police enforcement, higher public awareness of safety issues, fuel prices and economic factors, legislation and road rule changes.
"The last time New Zealand had a road toll this low the population was half what it is now and there were less than half a million vehicles on the road, compared to the 3.2 million we have now,'' he said.
Provisional data showed alcohol was a a factor in 38 per cent of fatal crashes and speed was a factor in 26 per cent.
Police Minister Anne Tolley said the vigilance and professionalism of police played a huge part in keeping the road toll down.
There had only been a slight decrease in travel over the past year, so that alone would not have had a significant impact on the road toll, she said.
However, despite the annual figures being significantly down, already 16 people have died on the roads during the Christmas-New Year period, which does not end until January 4 - four more than the entire period last year.
The holiday period started at 4pm on December 23 and ends at 6am on January 4.
"The high number of fatalities so far during this holiday period shows us how important it is to keep up our efforts.
"New Zealand still ranks behind other countries for the amount of death and injury on our roads. Alcohol continues to play too big a part in our road toll, and young drivers are also over represented in crash statistics,'' the ministers said.
New Zealand road policing manager Superintendent Paula Rose did not believe the high holiday road toll was reflective of the good driving displayed by the majority of drivers in 2011.
"Just think that in 1973, 843 people died on the roads and we've almost reduced that by a third. That's amazing but it's still 284 people whose families are missing a loved one so, is it good enough? Well, no, but it is a very positive result.''
Poor driver judgement, speed, alcohol and not wearing seatbelts were the major reasons for the holiday fatalities.
"Isn't it absurd? We've had seatbelts for years and years and wouldn't you think that this is just such an easy, easy, easy way to save your life.''
The Waikato again had the highest road toll in 2011 with 63 fatalities, but Ms Rose said this would have been a lot higher had it not been for recent upgrades to the region's roads.
"The Waikato Expressway is a really good example of a road that's now really safe. Since the wire-rope barriers and safety features were put in there we haven't had a fatality from a vehicle crossing the road, but a car is hitting that barrier more than once a week and each of those could have been a fatality.''
Ms Rose praised the Northland community for getting their 2011 road toll to seven, the lowest in the country.
"They're really showing the way with how they're working together. They've been doing a lot of work with schools and freight operators, the local authorities and their road safety partners have been working with the police to target risky locations. It's a really, really positive result for the year. Their challenge, of course, is to keep that going.
"But this isn't just one district where we've managed to reduce the road toll. This is about a nationwide education and while we do see that the Waikato hasn't been as positive as we would have liked their numbers are still tracking in the right direction.
"I genuinely believe that road safety education, the conversations parents are having with their children, heightened police enforcement, investment in our roads, changes to our driving laws, alongside some very targeted advertising are getting some very good results.''
The first death death on New Zealand's roads in 2012 came this morning when a 22-year-old woman was hit and killed while walking on Auckland's Southwestern Motorway about 5.30am.
Police are yet to find the vehicle involved in the collision.
They had examined a truck and trailer which was in the area at the time of the collision, but had ruled that vehicle out, Sergeant Blair Atkins said.
"At this stage we don't know what sort of vehicle was involved.''
Police were still trying to piece together what had happened, but said it was not a suicide.
