Eight people died on New Zealand's roads over Easter in what police are calling an "unacceptable outcome".
It's the highest death toll in more than a decade and police are urging New Zealanders to take care and stop preventable deaths on the roads.
"Speed is the single biggest determinant in whether someone walks away or is carried away," said Superintendent Steve Greally.
"A small change in speed makes a big difference to injury severity in a crash for the driver and everyone else involved."
Supt Greally says slowing down, staying sober and wearing a seatbelt could all be the difference between life and death.
"If you are driving, then you need to focus on the road to get everybody in the car to your destination safely."
He says motorists need to put their phones down and stay vigilant.
"There is no text, post or call that is so important to risk your life for. Police cannot be everywhere all of the time and cannot solve this issue alone.
"Drivers need to take responsibility for their actions when operating a vehicle on our roads."
The first fatality of Easter weekend occurred on Thursday afternoon when a truck and car collided in the rural settlement of Kaihere. One person died and three were injured.
Later the same evening, 22-year-old Kalam Safari Watkin-Mamode died after a serious crash on State Highway 2 in Mangatāwhiri.
On Friday Tauranga woman Kellie Jane Greer died in a crash at the intersection of State Highway 30 and 32 near Whakamaru.
A toddler died after a crash at the family home and on Saturday a motorcycle crash killed Tony Lars Hansen near Rotorua.
By Saturday night another person had died in hospital after crashing into a power pole in Otaki and later 75-year-old Andrew Lockwood Waikare was killed when he was dragged beneath a Wellington bus.
Sunday saw the toll rise to eight when a motorcyclist was killed in the Far North. A car and the bike collided on Far Road, 8km north of Te Kao.
The motorcyclist died at the scene.
