'Horrific start to holiday season': Four die on roads in last 24 hours

Although the official summer road toll doesn't begin until Monday, four people have died on the roads in the last 24 hours.

Police say it is a "truly horrific start to the holiday season" and are pleading with the public to recognise the full responsibility that comes with getting behind the wheel.

"The last thing Police want to do is turn up on a loved one's doorstep in the days before Christmas and tell them someone is dead," said Supt Steve Greally, the national manager for road policing.

But that's what happened on Saturday, with three people dying in separate crashes in the Canterbury region.

One person died when the car they were travelling in plummeted 200 metres down a bank in the Banks Peninsula at midday on Saturday. The serious crash unit was investigating parts of the wreckage, and the road was closed for much of the day.

A male driver died in a collision south of Christchurch on Friday night, while a van rolled on Mt Cook Rd north of Twizel killing another. A crash in Tauranga on Saturday morning claimed the life of one person.

"We cannot imagine how this will impact the families of those involved at what is supposed to be a happy time of year," said Supt Greally.

"Our hearts go out to them."

He said it was pivotal that drivers give their full attention to the road and surrounding hazards, while everyone in the car wears their seatbelt.

"With more people on the roads over the holiday season, and with bad weather forecast for a number of regions in the coming days, it's also crucial that you drive to the conditions.

"We want everyone to make it where they're going safely, and to be around to spend the holidays with their loved ones."

Newshub.