Number of people dying on NZ roads this Easter highest in 8 years

Six people died on New Zealand roads this Easter weekend, three times as many as last year.

National manager for road policing Superintendent Steve Greally is labelling the number of deaths that occurred on our roads over the holiday period "particularly tragic".

It is the highest number it has been in eight years, since 2010, when 12 people died.

The official holiday road toll began at 4pm Thursday, March 29, and ended at 6am this morning.

Last Easter weekend two people died on the roads, and the lowest number of road deaths recorded over an Easter weekend was 0 in 2012.

The highest number killed was 21, in 1971.

Greally said the Easter weekend toll in combination with a grim start to the year on our roads didn't bode well for the 2018 road toll.

"Last year was particularly appalling and this year is looking even worse," he said.

"If you're in that game and try to predict things then it doesn't look all that great."

The latest fatal crash was last night, when a driver and a passenger died following a two car head-on smash on State Highway 10 near Kerikeri.

Emergency services were called to the crash in the Far North District at 11.18pm on Monday.

Yesterday police named the two children who were killed in a crash on Desert Rd on Good Friday.

They were 4-year-old Arteen Mosaferi, and Radeen Mosaferi, who was 2-months-old.

The boys were from Hamilton.

Arteen died at the scene and Radeen died at Starship Hospital yesterday from his injuries.

Another person involved in the crash remains in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital.

The Serious Crash Unit and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team are investigating the crash, which involved two cars and two truck and trailer units.

Police were called to the crash, between Waipakihi Rd and Rangipo Intake Rd, about 3.30pm on Friday.

The boys were correctly restrained in car seats.

Another crash on Friday in Tirohanga, between Pokuru and Tirohanga Rds, north of Taupo, killed Taupo woman Denise Tito.

Tito was grieving the loss of her mother and will share a double funeral with her.

On Saturday morning, a person died after a motorcycle and truck collided in Rotorua.

Horrified crash witnesses said the motorcycle lost control and went under the truck's wheels.

The motorcyclist died at the scene despite frantic efforts from members of the public to resuscitate him.

So far this year 107 people have died on New Zealand roads, up from 94 at the same time last year.

In the 12 months to April 3, there had been 393 road deaths, 64 more than in the previous 12-month period.

Greally was urging motorists to use their common sense when on the road – in particular, to slow down and be patient.

"Don't use your phone and for god's sake don't drive drunk.

"Inattention is one that catches a lot of people out too, whether it's your phone or just something on the side of the road."