By Juliet Speedy
Drivers beware the words should carry more weight than usual at the moment after several road accidents which may have been caused by black ice.
Two people have been killed; one on the West Coast yesterday and one in Canterbury this morning.
Several others were also injured in this morning's crash on State Highway 1 just south of Rakaia near Christchurch.
The black ice on the road was treacherous; a passerby stopped to help out the accident scene and assist the injured.
“And within a few moments another vehicle crashed into the rear of his vehicle causing a second accident,” constable Mike Jackson says.
The ice is causing major traffic problems.
“The frosts are getting worse and worse each morning and any area that looks to be shaded in any way; you need to slow down before you get to it,” Mr Jackson says.
Today's crash follows a spate of slips and accidents including another fatal on the West Coast yesterday after a ute slid on heavy frost killing an Australian coal mining contractor who just arrived in the country.
Much of the south has been enduring thick frosts for nearly three weeks.
Heavy frost has been blamed for causing a power line to collapse at a Taieri farm in Otago; eight dairy cows were electrocuted.
Queenstown has had nearly 20 heavy frosts in a row, causing the lake to freeze over in parts – delighting visitors to the region.
The town's popular jet boat attraction hasn't been able to run for the past few days due to ice in the river.
“Some of the pieces have been as big as surfboards and what happens is they slowly get stuck on the intake brakes on our boats,” says Clark Scott of the Shotover Jet.
But they managed to get a boat out today.
It has been the coldest few days down south so far this winter – brought by an anticyclone which has stalled over the country – bringing freezing temperatures and stunning vistas, but posing grave danger to motorists.
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