As thousands of people travel to holiday destinations today, police urge road users to be careful.
The official Christmas and New Year holiday period began at 4pm on December 24 and will end at 6am on January 3.
In the corresponding period for 2012-13, three drivers, two passengers and a pedestrian died on New Zealand roads, including a 24-year-old Invercargill man and a 22-year-old Oamaru man.
The Invercargill man was the sole occupant of a Honda saloon and was found dead at the crash scene near Lorneville about 6.30am on Boxing Day. No other vehicles were involved.
The Oamaru man died when his car crashed into a tree at Ngapara on December 28. Police said speed and alcohol were major contributing factors in that crash.
Of the 243 road crashes involving death and injury throughout New Zealand during the past Christmas and New Year holiday period, almost half (49%) were single-vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control or ran off the road.
In total, 70 people were seriously injured and another 283 received lesser injuries.
All six fatal crashes and 62% of the reported crashes involving injury occurred on the open road.
Crashes involved intersection collisions (21%), head-on collisions (11%) and collisions comprising obstructions or rear-end hits (9%).
In Otago, there were 17 road deaths last year and 14 in 2011.
An average of 37 people have died on New Zealand roads each December for the past five years, and the comparative figure for January was 34.
As at December 24, there had been 248 road deaths nationally this year, 54 fewer than at the corresponding time last year.
Fatal crashes totalled 233 for the year to date, 28 fewer than in the previous corresponding period.
Southern police reiterated the message for all road users to be extremely careful during the holiday period, which generally involved increased travel and alcohol consumption.
''Roads are busier at this time of year, so it's important that we all drive fresh, drive to the conditions, and allow plenty of time to reach our destination safely,'' police said.
Dunedin MP and Associate Transport Minister Michael Woodhouse also urged road users to be safe.
''We are on track to record the lowest annual road toll in 60 years, but we're not there yet. We still have the busiest holiday period of the year to come so I urge everyone to be extra vigilant on the road this Christmas season,'' he said.
Police will continue to enforce a lower speed threshold until late January.
- Plan ahead and allow extra time to avoid stress.
- Be well rested, take regular breaks and share the driving.
- Check vehicles are in good condition.
- Drive to the conditions.
- Stay sober.
- Drive within speed limits.
- Do not use cellphones while driving.
- Expect the unexpected.
