The Labour Weekend road toll closed on Tuesday morning with seven deaths on the country's roads.
Those killed between Friday afternoon and 6am on Tuesday included motorists, a motorcyclist and a pedestrian.
National road policing manager Superintendent Paula Rose told Morning Report that despite the deaths the reduced speed tolerance policy enforced for holiday periods did have an effect.
She says there was a marked reduction in the number of crashes reported, which were 25% down on last year and 30% down on the previous three-year average.
However, Auckland's Road and Traffic Education Centre says the lowered speed tolerance is not effective.
Director Tony Williams says most of the Labour Weekend deaths were the result of inattentive drivers, proving speeding is not the problem.
He says teaching drivers about tuning into their surroundings will prevent road deaths.
Eight people died on the roads during Labour Weekend last year.
