Killed delivery driver not wearing seatbelt

Photo / file

A newspaper delivery driver could have survived an early morning crash today if he had been wearing his seatbelt, police say.

The New Zealand Herald delivery driver died when his vehicle and a car collided head-on in Waikato.

The crash happened on Hauraki Rd near State Highway 2, not far from Kerepehi, about 5.20am, police said.

Initial indications were that a northbound Nissan Sentra newspaper delivery vehicle had been driving on the wrong side of the road and collided with a southbound Holden Commodore sedan, district road policing manager Inspector Freda Grace said.

"Tragically, the driver of the Nissan was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered fatal injuries in the crash.

"Given the two occupants of the Commodore were restrained and suffered status three [minor] injuries, it is possible had the driver of the Nissan been restrained, his injuries may have been survivable."

The two occupants of the Commodore were taken to Thames Hospital by ambulance, Mrs Grace said.

"Sadly, this morning's fatality is the 18th in the Waikato so far this year and it is not the first in which the lack of secure car restraints played a factor in the loss of someone's life.

"It only takes a couple of seconds to make it click, road safety is no accident and if we can remove the avoidable aspects in our crashes we can all drive to survive."

Hauraki Rd has been closed between the state highway and Wharepoa Rd, police said.

NZME, the publisher of the Herald, has today offered its sincere condolences to the family of the driver and says it will await the outcome of the police investigation.

Information on the Ministry of Transport website said newspaper delivery drivers were exempt from wearing seatbelts.

The exemption applied if the driver was required to "alight from and re-enter the vehicle at frequent intervals, so long as the vehicle is travelling at a speed not exceeding 50 km per hour".