Police will again be enforcing a reduced speed threshold of 4km/h during the official Easter holiday period.
Central District Police said motorists should expect delays on central North Island roads.
Senior Sergeant Kris Burbery said police will be conducting checkpoints that focus on high-risk driver behaviour, particularly drink and drug-impaired driving, speeding, and not wearing seatbelts.
"Officers will be highly visible across the district's roads and motorists should expect that at anywhere and at anytime they could be stopped and be subject to a breath screening test."
The volume of traffic on roads across the South Island will increase as people take advantage of the last long weekend before the cold weather sets in, police said.
Police urged slower drivers, including those towing vehicles, to pull over and let others pass when it's safe to do so.
A man died after his car struck a tree in Ngaruawahia about 4am today, 12 hours before the official holiday road toll began.
Police said he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and died in an ambulance.
Inspector Freda Grace, road policing manager, said police were working to identify the man and inform his family.
"Road safety is no accident, it comes about by people treating the roads as a social environment and recognising that person coming towards them, separated by a thin painted line on the road, is someone's mum, sister or daughter or someone's brother, husband or dad."
Mrs Grace said Police would be maintaining a highly visible presence on Waikato roads this Easter, trying to emulate the fatal free Easter Holiday period of last year.
Simple things you can do to reach your destination safely:
Get plenty of rest before travelling will help you to remain alert and focused
Plan your journey and make the journey part of the holiday
Add extra time in your plan for delays due to the volume of traffic
On long journeys share the driving
Drive to the conditions and do not exceed the posted speed limit.
Be mindful of your following distances
Don't drink and drive.
NZME.
