Four deaths on Auckland roads spark warning to drivers: Be careful
Saturday, 26 December 2020
Drivers are being urged to take care after four people died in crashes on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Auckland.
Two people died after a car crashed into a power pole in south Auckland at 7.30pm on Christmas Day.
Two more people died in the early hours of Boxing Day when their car hit a bridge in West Auckland.
In a statement, Inspector Jason Homan said investigations were ongoing into the causes of both crashes, but high speeds appeared to be a contributing factor.
**READ MORE:
* Two killed after car hits bridge in West Auckland on Boxing Day
* Two people dead after car hits power pole in south Auckland
* Auckland's Christmas getaway: When and where holiday traffic will be at its worst
**
The message from police is: do not speed, do not drink or drive, put on your seatbelt and put away distractions like cell phones.
Other crashes over the festive period have caused serious injuries.
On Boxing Day afternoon, one person suffered moderate injuries after crashing into a power pole in Whangārei.
The crash brought down power lines and closed a section of State Highway 1 at Western Hills Drive.
“Every death on the road means a person will never come home again to their whānau and friends,” Homan said.
“We do not want any other families to experience such pain and loss this holiday period.”
People need to take responsibility for their behaviour on the roads, he said.
He also encouraged passengers to speak up if they did not feel safe.
The number of deaths on New Zealand roads in 2020 up to December 25 stands at 312, 34 of them in the Auckland region. The road toll for 2019 was 349.
Over Labour Day weekend, eight people died, the highest road toll for the holiday in nearly a decade.
By contrast, there were zero deaths over the Easter weekend when the country was in lockdown, just the second time that has been recorded.
The holiday period this year runs from 4pm on December 24 to 6am on January 5.
During last year's summer holiday period there were four deaths and 353 injuries on New Zealand roads.