New Zealand Christmas road toll is at ten

The New Zealand Christmas road toll has climbed to only one fewer; than the 11 deaths in the entire period last year; after four people were killed today. The official Christmas-New Year road toll runs between 4pm on 24th December and 8am on 4th January

“There are 10 families now having to plan funerals and that's enormously tragic for all of those involved”. Says National Road Manager; Superintendent Dave Cliff. He says that he is “disappointed with the high toll this far.”

Road victims this Christmas 2005 include:

Today:

A 19 year old died when a car and a van collided at the intersection of SH60 and Harleys Rd, near Motueka.

One person killed on SH4, southwest of Te Kuiti.after car hits a tree.

A 10-year-old boy killed yesterday, on SH30, after a 4WD rolls.

One person killed at the Kopu intersection. After a car and campervan collide.

Earlier in the week:

On Boxing Day, a motorcyclist was killed on SH1 between Orewa and Waiwera.

On Christmas Day in Wanganui, a 15-year-old was killed.

Also on Christmas day; a 30-year-old man died in a crash on SH35, near Te Kaha

On Christmas Eve, two people died in a head-on crash on SH1 south of Kawakawa.

And on Friday, a driver was killed at a rail crossing near Sefton.