Northland's top road cop is hoping for a fatality-free December and wants motorists to heed the safety messages as the region's road toll soars.
The death of a pedestrian early yesterday has pushed Northland's road toll for the year to 33, compared to 27 for the whole of 2016 and 22 in 2015.
Police are continuing to investigate the horror accident in which one person was killed and two others injured, one seriously, north of Kaitaia, after the trio were believed to have been walking down the road after their car broke down.
The two men and a woman were walking on Awanui Straight, State Highway 1 between Kaitaia and Awanui, when they were hit by a car about 1.15am. A man, aged 44, died at the scene while a second, 58, was airlifted to Whangarei Hospital in a critical condition.
The woman, aged 40, was taken to Kaitaia Hospital with moderate injuries. All three are from Kaitaia.
The accident occurred at the intersection with Quarry Rd, which leads to Kaitaia airport, just south of Awanui. State Highway 1 was closed until 9am while the police Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination.
Police said they had spoken to the driver of the vehicle, and that the scene was blessed by a local kaumatua before the cordons were lifted. The section of highway where the accident occurred has a 100km/h speed limit. There is a shoulder but no street lighting.
A family member of one of those in the car posting on a Kaitaia Facebook page said the trio's car had broken down so they were trying to hitch-hike when they were hit.
December is typically a busy month on Northland roads, and the latest death has seen the region's top traffic cop reiterate safety messages as he seeks a fatality-free December.
Northland road policing manager Inspector Wayne Ewers said police wanted everyone to enjoy the Christmas festivities, and get safely to wherever they were travelling too.
"Take your time, slow down, take plenty of rest, wear your sealtbelt and don't drink and drive. If everyone abides by that we will have a fatal-free December."
Mr Ewers said the road toll was ''absolutely frustrating''. He said not only do the accidents have an impact on the emergency services staff who attend them, but they have a huge impact on the families of the victims, whose loved ones don't make it home.
Nineteen of the people killed this year have been in the mid and Far North, with four of them pedestrians. He said 19 was more than double the number who died in the same area last year.
"It's just people taking risks or making silly errors." He urged drivers to be patient on the road. People are still not wearing their seatbelts. It's just unbelievable."
Mr Ewers said roads were a dangerous place and while sometimes accidents happen, a simple error could unfortunately be fatal.
"There's a percentage of people out there who think they're 10-foot high and bullet-proof."
He said somehow police had to get through to people that the rules were there for a reason.
■ Kaitaia police want anyone with information that could help the investigation into yesterday's accident to call the station on (09) 408 6500 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.