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George Empson / Supplied
Traffic is stopped on SH8 after a fatal accident near Lake Tekapo on Saturday.
Police are asking drivers to take care of themselves and drive safely as the end of the long weekend approaches.
By Labor Day, Monday afternoon, six people had died on the roads.
That compares to just one person who died on the roads throughout the entire Work Weekend in 2019.
The first death included in the vacation road toll was a motorcyclist who died in Upper Hutt on Friday night. The incident occurred on State Highway 2 in Timberlea, Upper Hutt.
READ MORE:
* Work weekend road toll: five people killed, motorcyclist seriously injured
* Cell phone use and speed are potential factors in a fatal accident near Lake Tekapo
* The labor toll during the weekend is already higher than in 2019
A second person died in an accident near Gisborne on Saturday morning on Whatatutu Rd in Te Karaka.
Che Tekapa Hogg, 42, of Auckland, died after the car he was driving collided with another car near Tekapo on Saturday.
It was understood that the police were considering cell phone use and speed as factors in their investigation. Three other people were also airlifted to hospital with minor injuries and the road was blocked for some time.
George Empson
Traffic was diverted at the intersection of Godley Peaks Rd and SH8 near Lake Tekapo following an accident.
On Saturday, a pedestrian died after a previous accident on State Highway 3, in Westmere, Whanganui.
On Sunday, the Labor Weekend highway toll increased to five after one person was killed when a car drifted north of Gisborne. The accident occurred on State Highway 35, in Tikitiki.
Police announced a sixth death on the road on Monday, following a car accident in Tokomaru, Horowhenua.
The accident occurred between two vehicles on Sunday night around 11:30 pm at the intersection of Makerua and Williams roads.
The driver and sole occupant of one of the vehicles died at the scene. A passenger in the other vehicle suffered moderate injuries.
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With tourists trapped in the country this year, authorities are warning that roads could be busier than usual.
Police have also attended several other collisions and road closures across the country over the weekend.
One of them was a serious accident in North Hawke’s Bay on Sunday, in which a motorcyclist was taken to hospital in critical condition.
During the day of Friday, Julian Yates was killed in an accident in Weka Pass after a trailer carrying glass panels fell off a pickup truck and crashed into his vehicle.
His death was not counted in the official toll of the festive highway, which runs from 4 p.m. on Friday, October 23 until 6 a.m. on Tuesday 27.
Yates had a partner and two children, and was the main skipper for the nature cruises run by Banks Peninsula’s tour company, Black Cat Cruises.
Black Cat CEO Paul Milligan said Stuff that Yates would be “deeply missed”.
STACY SQUIRES / Stuff
The scene of a three-vehicle accident at Archers Bridge on Weka Pass in North Canterbury, which occurred at 12.10 p.m. on Friday the 23rd.
In a statement, police said they expected a significant amount of traffic on the roads on Monday when people returned home after their long weekend.
“Too many people have already lost their lives or been seriously injured on the roads this weekend,” said National Road Surveillance Manager Acting Superintendent Gini Welch.
“Please watch your speed and following distances, pay attention to the conditions and stop and take a break if you feel fatigued.”
Welch said “we all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe,” and police called on all motorists to do their part to ensure everyone gets home safely.
