Carseats are being credited for limiting the injuries to a baby and a child when the four wheel drive they were in rolled near Taupo yesterday.
Senior Sergeant Fane Troy of the Taupo area road policing group said the crash happened on the East Taupo Arterial just north of the Centennial Drive interchange, about 12pm.
The 25-year-old male driver received serious injuries, while the 25-year female passenger and her two children aged 6 and 1, suffered moderate injuries.
Three rescue helicopters flew them to Waikato Hospital.
Mr Troy said both children were restrained in the vehicle in carseats.
"The injuries sustained by the children could have been worse if they were not restrained. Everyone in the car needs to ensure they wear their safety belts or are in an approved child restraint.
"Seat belts do save lives," he said.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by police.
Earlier story
Two children and their parents are in hospital after a horrific crash near Taupo.
The father, 25, was cut from the wreckage and is fighting for his life with severe head injuries.
The mother, also 25, has a serious cut on her head while a boy, 6, and a girl, 1, received moderate injuries.
Taupo Greenlea Rescue Helicopter pilot, Nat Every, said the family's Mitsubishi Pajero rolled and spun off the East Taupo Arterial Rd about 1pm yesterday.
The left side of the car was crushed and the front passenger door was ripped off, he said.
"Blood was splattered around the car, it was not pleasant," Every said.
"There were skid marks up the road so they've done a snaky thing and rolled .. it landed upright but facing the direction it came from."
Firefighters freed one person with the jaws of life.
Three rescue helicopters from Taupo, Rotorua and Waikato airlifted the family to Waikato Hospital.
The man was critically ill. The woman was was in a serious but stable condition and the children were stable.
Earlier story:
Four people including two children were hurt when a vehicle rolled in Taupo this afternoon.
The Rotorua Bay Trust Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to the serious crash on State Highway 1 near Centennial Drive in Taupo.
The family driven vehicle had rolled and both the male and female occupants both suffered severe head and neck injuries.
Two small children also present in the vehicle also suffered serious undisclosed injuries.
The Taupo based Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was also on scene and Hamilton's Waikato Westpac Air Ambulance was additionally dispatched to the accident.
The injured 25 year old female was transported to Waikato Hospital for further treatment by the Bay Trust Rescue Helicopter and the male patient and children were also transported to Waikato Hospital by the Greenlea and Waikato Rescue Helicopters.
