The holiday road toll has risen to at least 18 after a person was killed in a motorcycle crash on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency services rushed to the crash just after 2pm in Tauhei when witnesses saw a rider come off their bike while rounding a corner.

The rider died at the scene.

This was the second road death of the day. In the early hours of the morning, another person died after their car crashed into a power pole in the Coromandel.

The official holiday toll period started on December 22 at 4pm and ends at 6am on January 3.

According to data from the Ministry of Transport, 21 people died on the road over the same period last year.

A police spokesperson said “too many people” had lost their lives.

“Speed, alcohol and drugs and distraction are still the main causes of death and serious injury. Wearing your seatbelt can also be the difference between surviving a crash and not,” the spokesperson said in a press release.

“As people continue to travel around Aotearoa, the roads will be busier than usual. Please be patient, plan your trips, drive sober and pull over if you are feeling tired.”