The road toll has climbed to two, after a car and truck collided in South Waikato.

The first death took place only minutes into the beginning of the official road toll period yesterday, with a fatal crash on the Dairy Flat Highway north of Auckland.

Road policing manager Superintendent Carey Griffiths says today's second crash happened on State Highway One near Lichfield, around 2pm.

"Would seem we've got one female dead, car versus truck. We don't have any further detail at the moment. Police are still at the scene and investigating that.

"It's disappointing to have any deaths at any time. It's often that people count numbers but these are lives and families that are grieving afterwards."

One person died on the roads during Labour weekend last year.