Slippery weather causes Boxing Day crashes in Hawke's Bay

Police are reminding drivers to stay safe on the roads as wet weather can be a major contributor to crashes during the holiday season. Photo / File.

Heavy rain means slippery roads and a few Hawke's Bay drivers were taken by surprise by the unpredictable Christmas break weather.

Police, ambulance and firefighters were called to Ōtāne at 1.21am on Boxing Day after a man drove into a ditch.

A police spokeswoman said the driver hit his head on impact and was checked by paramedics at the scene before his car was towed away.

Police were also called to two minor crashes in Mahora, Hastings, one in Duke St and the other on Nelson St.

The police spokeswoman said the car involved in the second crash hit a power pole, knocking out power for sometime.

"There were three people in the car, but no injuries were reported," she said.

National Road Policing Manager Superintendent Steve Greally said it was important for drivers remain patient and courteous and to keep safety in mind throughout the holiday period.

"Imagine the person in the car in front of you or coming round the corner contains your family or whanau."

Greally said it hadn't been as sunny as people had hoped for at Christmas, so driving to the conditions was paramount.

"Put your lights on, increase your following distance and watch your speed. Even when speed doesn't cause the crash, it is the single biggest determinant in whether anyone is killed, injured, or walks away unharmed. A small change in speed makes a big difference to injury severity in a crash – for you and everyone else involved.

"Speeding and travelling too fast for the conditions is a contributing factor in around one third of all fatal crashes and 15 per cent of all injury crashes. Watch your following distances. You want to give yourself space to react if something goes wrong on the road ahead. After a brief rain shower the oil comes up on the road and makes for a slippery surface. It's important to take care."