Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER
The holiday road toll has risen to eight.
The official Christmas and New Year period ended at 6am Monday and the road toll was seven at that time.
But the provisional figure can change when someone injured during the period dies later.
The change comes after a woman who was injured in a crash on State Highway 3 south of Turakina died.
The woman, who was critically injured in a crash on 2 January, was taken to Wellington Hospital where she died on 5 January.
The Christmas holiday road toll is still down from 15 the previous year, and 22 in 2024.
The director of road policing, Superintendent Steve Greally, said police were not celebrating the drop in deaths over the past few years, because even one death is one too many.
"We're not going to celebrate until we have zero deaths on our roads, but this is trending in the right direction.
"We want everyone to keep in mind that one death is one too many."
Greally said police will continue road policing operations and patrols, especially in higher risk crash areas.
"We're all responsible for road safety, and while our officers are doing all that they can on the roads to reduce the number of serious crashes, we need drivers to do their part.
"Make sure you are always driving free from alcohol, drugs, and fatigue."
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