"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.
