By RNZ

A motorcyclist has been killed in a crash in Northland overnight.

Emergency services were called to State Highway 12 in Kaihū, in the Kaipara District, shortly before 12.30am after reports of a crash.

The male rider was pronounced dead at the scene, Police said.

The death takes the holiday road toll for the Christmas-New Year period to 11, equalling last year's total with three days to go.

A motorcycle passenger received moderate injuries and was taken to Whangārei Hospital for treatment.

The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.

The Christmas-New Year holiday road toll period finishes at 6am on Wednesday.

Road deaths are disproportionately high even despite pandemic lockdowns, the AA said yesterday, with 319 people killed in crashes in 2021.

The figure is only one less than the road toll for 2020, and AA policy manager Simon Douglas said it signalled that New Zealand was not doing what it could to take decisive action on road safety.

He said 100 fewer people would have been killed in 2021 if our roads were as safe as Australia's.

Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson said the government needs to stop putting money down the drain with road safety messages and start building median barriers.

He said those prone to crashes are virtually immune to road safety messages and it would be far cheaper and effective to upgrade highway systems with barriers instead.