Waikato Police are urging motorists to stick to the basics after a horrific holiday weekend on the district's roads left one person dead and several others fighting for their lives.
Yesterday saw the death of the seventh person to die on Waikato roads thrown from a rolling vehicle while not wearing a seatbelt.
The crash happened outside Waihi near the intersection of Woodland Rd and SH2 when a rented mini-van carrying eight people failed to negotiate a bend and rolled shortly before 5pm.
The Waikato Serious Crash Unit is investigating the crash which saw a 24-year-old male Saudi thrown from the vehicle and suffering fatal head injuries.
It is believed he was not wearing a seatbelt and was travelling as a left side rear passenger.
Waikato Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said Police were working to identify the other seven people who were aboard the mini-van at the time of the crash and establish their nationalities.
There were at least three other nationalities in the group who were in this country on a one-year work visa.
"Once again we find ourselves reflecting on the needless loss of someone thrown from a vehicle while not restrained.
"Once again we implore people to take the three seconds to make it click. Your chances of surviving a crash are far better if you remain in the vehicle restrained than if you're thrown out of it as it rolls because you weren't wearing a seatbelt."
Mr Tooman said for some reason people believed they had some sort of exemption when travelling in mini-vans but this isn't the case.
"It's been compulsory to wear seatbelts for 33 years and by and large most people do but for a small minority not wearing their restraints can have tragic consequences.
In other crashes a father aged in his 50s is in Waikato Hospital's Intensive Care Unit with serious injuries while one 15-year-old girl is in a ward and another 15-year-old girl was taken to Thames Hospital following a crash on SH2 near Kerepehi on Sunday morning.
The crash, between the trio's car and a truck happened about 9.20am and left the trio having to be cut from the wreckage by firefighters.
Meanwhile a 52-year-old male motorcyclist is in a serious condition following surgery in Waikato Hospital after a crash on SH1 outside Huntly about 3pm.
A three-year-old boy suffered critical injuries in the crash and was flown to Auckland's Starship Hospital after the southbound car he was a passenger in was shunted from the rear as it waited to turn right into a driveway on SH1.
The car was pushed into the path of the motorbike throwing the male rider several metres.
Mr Tooman said it was only due to excellent work by ambulance and health workers the Waikato's holiday weekend road toll wasn't worse.
"With the weather being pretty good speeds have risen all while people have been burning the candle at both ends over the weekend.
"When that happens people are tired, nerves are frayed and driver attention levels drop. What we're asking over this summer is for people to plan their trips and drive to survive."
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