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Labour Weekend: Why Good Drivers Make Risky Choices, and How We Can All Get Home Safely

This Labour Weekend, thousands of Kiwis will be heading over the Remutaka Hill, along State Highway 2 and out onto Wairarapa’s country roads. Most will arrive safely. The challenge for all of us is making sure every one of them does.

What the numbers tell us

Labour Weekend has a long and painful history on New Zealand roads. The worst year on record was 1983, when 13 people were killed and 248 were injured. We have come a long way since then. In 2024, nobody died on our roads over Labour Weekend, a record for recent years. The year before, five people lost their lives.

When fatal crashes do happen over long weekends, the causes are familiar. Police have repeatedly identified speed, alcohol and not wearing a seatbelt as common factors. Fatigue is another major risk, and drivers are urged to take regular breaks and share the driving.

Closer to home, the Wairarapa went most of 2026 without a road death until September, when two people died in separate motorcycle crashes in Carterton on the same weekend. Speed was a contributing factor in more than a quarter of the region’s fatal and serious injury crashes between 2021 and 2023.

Behind every one of these numbers is a family, a workplace and a community that has lost someone.

Why good drivers take risks

Very few people set out to drive dangerously. Long-weekend crashes usually come from ordinary people making small decisions under pressure.

Rushing. Long weekends pack a lot into a few days, and the drive home can feel like the last obstacle before Monday night on the couch. Wairarapa Road Safety Council spokesperson Holly Hullena says the pressure to get somewhere is when things go wrong:

“When we’re all in a rush to get somewhere, that’s when mistakes happen.”

Fatigue. Late nights, early starts and long days out take their toll. A tired driver reacts more slowly and is more likely to drift or misjudge a gap.

“It won’t happen to me.” Most drivers rate themselves as better than average. That confidence makes it easy to believe the risk belongs to someone else.

Holiday mode. Unfamiliar roads, a full car, a drink with lunch and a relaxed mindset can combine into a dangerous mix.

Drive like cops are around

Most of us will admit that we drive differently when we spot a patrol car. We check the speedo, put the phone down, leave a bigger gap and wait for a safer place to pass.

That raises an uncomfortable question. If we already know how to drive safely, why do we wait for a patrol car to remind us?

This Labour Weekend, the challenge is simple: drive like cops are around, all the time. The reason isn’t the fine. It’s that the driver you become when you think someone is watching is the one who gets everyone home.

How we can all do better together

Road safety isn’t only a job for Police. It’s something we share as drivers, passengers, whānau and friends.

• Plan ahead. Check NZTA’s journey planner before you leave, and consider travelling outside peak times.
• Take breaks. Stop at least every two hours, and swap drivers if you can.
• Don’t drink and drive. If you’re unsure whether you’re okay to drive, you’re not.
• Belts on, phones away. This applies to every person in the car on every trip.
• Be patient. On the Remutaka Hill and State Highway 2 or heading out to the coast, arriving a few minutes later costs you nothing.
• Speak up. If someone you’re with is tired, has been drinking or is driving too fast, say something. It could save their life.

A final thought

Hullena says the goal is for everyone to enjoy the region this spring and get home safely.

Think about who will be in your car this weekend, and who will be waiting for you when you get home. Then drive like cops are around.

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Stats - Ministry of Transport

Provisional holiday figures, two people died on New Zealand roads over Labour Weekend 2025.

• Where: one in Auckland and one in Waikato. There were no deaths in the Wellington region, which includes the Wairarapa.
• Who: one driver and one motorcycle pillion passenger, both male.
• Recent Labour Weekend deaths: 5 in 2022, 5 in 2023, 0 in 2024 and 2 in 2025.

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