Police hope a combination of good weather and sensible driving today will result in the lowest Easter road toll since records began.
Last night, the toll stood at two. Michael Morris, 46, of Mairangi Bay, and his 10-year-old daughter, Seren, died in a car crash on State Highway 27 near Tahuna, 19km north of Morrinsville, on Good Friday.
Detective Sergeant Rob Jones, of Morrinsville, said the stationwagon in which the father and daughter were travelling and a van collided at 3.35pm.
The two other occupants of the stationwagon - one a pregnant woman - were airlifted to Waikato Hospital, where a spokesman said they were in a stable condition.
The five occupants of the van suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor and were also taken to Waikato Hospital.
Last year's Easter holiday road toll of four was the second lowest in more than 40 years, says the Land Transport Safety Authority.
It equalled the toll in 1959 and was one more than the lowest recorded number in 1998.
Inspector John Kelly, of traffic operations at the Police Commissioner's office, said the police were optimistic that the Easter road toll this year would be the lowest since records began in 1956.
He urged people travelling today to drive to suit the road and traffic conditions, and to leave plenty of time for breaks.
Drivers towing trailers, caravans and boats should watch traffic behind them, he said. They should pull over periodically to let faster traffic past.
MetService forecaster Allister Gorman said there would still be some showers today, but the weather north of Taupo would improve throughout the day.
- STAFF REPORTER, NZPA
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