Drivers urged to be patient

Motorists are being urged to drive to the conditions and be patient, as thousands of holidaymakers get ready to head home after the school holidays. Travellers are being urged to plan ahead, stay calm and not take any undue risks, following what has been a horrific week of tragedy on the roads that saw three die in a Southland crash last Sunday and four others north of Taupo on Tuesday. The deaths have pushed the annual road toll to 297, among the highest in the last five years, compared to just 254 the same time last year.