On Christmas Day about midday a two-vehicle crash, again near Te Pohue, ended with no injuries.
A second crash 25 minutes later on State Highway 5 near Pohokura Rd in Waipunga left one person with moderate injuries.
An hour later at 1.20pm a third crash occurred at the same location, but no one was injured.
At 3pm a car was reported to have crashed into a bank on SH5 around 200 metres north of Ohurakura Rd. There were no injuries.
Three people - A woman in her 20s, a woman in her 50s and a man in his 50s - on Boxing Day remained in a stable condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital following the double-fatal Christmas Eve crash.
The woman in a critical condition after the Christmas Eve Te Pohue crash has been transferred to Christchurch Hospital. An update on her condition was not immediately available on Boxing Day.
Earlier this month, motorcyclists Mere Paranihi, 29, and Nathan Olson, 40, both of Hastings, died after hitting a truck on SH5 near the intersection with Rukumoana Rd.
The truck driver, a man in his 60s, was burned in the attempt to save them.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it was sad to hear about the number of accidents on the road over Christmas.
"State Highway 5 is a major gateway into our region.
"NZTA needs to invest in further road upgrades and safety measures to ensure people are as safe as possible when travelling between Taupō and Hawke's Bay," she said.
Hazlehurst said the region's leaders would be discussing this issue with the NZ Transport Agency in the new year.
NZTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Eastern District road policing manager Matt Broderick said after that crash that there had been plenty of work done on the notorious road recently, but it remained a challenging drive where crashes were possible.
NZTA had done a lot of work making the road safer recently with safety barriers and resealing, but "it's still a challenging road that does not forgive mistakes", Broderick said.
"We've had quite a few vehicles run off that road and been lucky to survive it."
He encouraged people to drive to the conditions and the nature of the road.
Police across the district are throughout the holidays doing prevention and enforcement activities such as speed enforcement, drug and alcohol testing, and operations focused on people using cellphones and not wearing seatbelts.
Sergeant Cam Donnsion of Hawke's Bay Highway Patrol said he urged people to stay safe on the roads over the festive season.
"The roads are busier at this time of year and we want to remind people to stay patient, plan their journeys and focus on getting themselves and their loved ones to their destinations safely."
Donnsion said four main behaviours contribute to death and injury on roads: people driving too fast for the conditions; impairment by drugs, alcohol, or fatigue; distracted driving; and not wearing seatbelts.
"Road safety is something we all have to take responsibility for, so watch your speed and your following distances, stay focused – put your phone out of reach – wear your seatbelt, and always drive sober and alert," he said.
