Southern police are applauding the general behaviour of motorists over the long weekend.
The Easter road toll period finishes at 6am today and the road toll in Southern district stood at one yesterday.
``One family has lost a 21-year-old and they will be in mourning. It's such a tragedy,'' Otago Coastal road policing manager Senior Sergeant Steve Larking said.
Conor Drake, of Otautau, died when the four-wheel-drive he was driving collided with a tanker on State Highway 99 near Wallacetown on Sunday morning.
There were 57 other crashes reported to police in the Southern district and 307 reports of poor or dangerous driving.
However, the behaviour of the majority of motorists was exemplary, Snr Sgt Larking said.
``Generally the behaviour has been very good over the weekend.
``On Friday, when it was really miserable drizzle continuously, about 90% of drivers had their headlights on.''
Most drivers maintained safe following distances, kept to the speed limit and showed patience in their journeys, he said.
But some drivers did disappoint police, including motorists speeding in Friday's poor conditions, he said.
``Even in that mist there were some high speeders - like 130kmh-plus.''
Nationally, the road toll stood at two last night. A pedestrian was hit by a truck and killed in Ruatoria on Saturday.
Last year's Easter road toll was four.
The man who died on Good Friday following a crash near Greymouth, on Thursday, was
Kenneth Naismith Buchanan (64), of Greymouth.
