The message from police for those driving on the region's roads this Queen's Birthday weekend is succinct: "Drive with bloody care."
It comes from Inspector Wayne Ewers, boss of the Northland's traffic police, as the region's road toll continues to climb and has reached 20 in the first five months of the year.
With wet weather forecast for tomorrow and Sunday the advice becomes even more timely.
"If you are going to be driving plan your trip and get plenty of rest."
Police have named the man who died in a Northland crash involving a vehicle carrying two passengers in the boot.
The latest to die was Cody Lloyd Cullen in the crash at Puwera on Sunday.
The 21-year-old from Waipū was the sole occupant of a car which collided with a Mitsubishi Challenger carrying eight people.
Five of the people in the Mitsubishi received moderate to serious injuries and three had minor injuries.
They were taken to Whangārei Hospital. Two of the passengers were unrestrained in the boot of the vehicle.
Initially, a female and a male from the Challenger were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit before their conditions stabilised and they were moved into a ward.
Ewers said there were plenty of dedicated traffic officers rostered to cover the busy periods with other police staff also working the long weekend. Waitemata Police staff would also push into Northland.
Ewers encouraged motorists to report any dangerous driving they saw to *555 and if they suspected anyone was driving drunk to call 111.
The NZ Transport Agency was predicting the heaviest time for traffic heading north out of Auckland over the long weekend will be 2pm-6pm today on State Highway 1 between Pūhoi and Wellsford. For traffic returning on Monday the busiest time will be noon- 6pm.