Police are pleading with Kiwis travelling on the road this summer to "focus on getting home in one piece" after six people died on the roads in the past weekend alone.
It comes as the number of road fatalities for 2023 reached a whopping 318, with 17 of those fatalities occurring in December, according to police.
Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming said investigations into the weekend's crashes were ongoing, however "frustratingly" many of the crashes police were dealing with were "preventable".
"With tens of thousands of extra cars travelling over the Christmas period, police want to make sure everybody gets to their destination safely," Dep Cmmr McSkimming said.
He said too many crashes involved motorists choosing to speed, drink and drive, or let their impatience get the better of them.
"We still see people not wearing seatbelts, and the gruesome result when a person is thrown through the windscreen," said Dep Cmmr Skimming.
"Belt up, keep your speed within the limits, and focus on the road in front of you.
"If you're having a big night, don't make the selfish decision to get behind the wheel after you've been drinking."
Dep Cmmr Skimming warned police would be "highly visible" on roads throughout the holidays, including in marked patrol cars and unmarked vehicles.
He said checkpoints would be a regular feature across the country this summer period.
"Expect to see us at any hour of the day and expect to be breath-tested when we stop you," he said.
As of November 30, police had carried out more than 2.7 million breath tests, written 50,000 tickets for not wearing seatbelts, issued 362,000 speeding tickets and dealt with 55,000 cell phone offences.
"There's no excuse for putting lives at risk and we are unapologetic about enforcing the road rules," he said.
"If it means you get home for Christmas, it's worth it."
