Christchurch woman Jaimey Leigh Fellows, 32, was killed and another badly injured in a car crash near Burnham Military Camp in Canterbury overnight.
Her car came off the road just after 12am on State Highway 1, just south of the camp.
A police spokeswoman said she died at the scene.
The official holiday road period runs from 4pm on Friday until 6am on Tuesday, October 24. Last year's Labour Weekend road toll was three from three fatal crashes and 94 reported injury crashes.
Meanwhile Aucklanders heading to the Coromandel or Bay of Plenty for Labour Weekend are in for a slow trip.
Traffic on Auckland's Southern Motorway heading south is backed up from Takanini to the Southwestern Motorway interchange at Manukau.
Estimates are that it is taking about 24 minutes to make the 10km drive with traffic moving at just over 30km/h.
The NZ Transport Agency said traffic was expected to be busy through the area between 9.30am and 3pm for southbound traffic and 10.30am and 1.30pm for northbound traffic today.
Road users were advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their journeys when travelling through this area, it said.
Most of the rest of the city's motorway network was flowing well but the NZTA warned heavy congestion was expected on State Highway 1 from Puhoi to Wellsford between 8.30am and 1.30pm.
Yesterday traffic built up early in the day and was compounded by a series of crashes.
Travellers heading north of Wellington on State Highway 1 are being warned to expect heavy delays through Pukerua Bay due to a crash about 11am.
The two-car crash happened near the intersection with Paekakariki Hill Rd, a police spokeswoman said.
No injuries had been reported, but the crash had been blocking the road.
It's since been cleared of State Highway 1 but police said traffic in the area was moving slowly.
