Tauranga's road police are reminding motorists to stick to the basic motoring principles after a busy day of crashes on the city roads.

Between 7.30am and 12.40pm on Thursday police attended three separate crashes involving a range of vehicles including a school bus, truck, and cars – all resulting in minor or no injuries.

Two vehicles damaged in a spate of crashes on Tauranga City roads.

At about 7.30am on March 6 a car rear-ended a school bus stopped on Welcome Bay Road, causing major damage to the vehicle.

The school bus was empty at the time and the driver uninjured, but the female driver of the car and two children were taken to hospital with minor injuries. The crash stalled traffic along the busy route to the city during peak hour.

Then an hour later a truck and car collided on Takitimu Drive expressway near the Waihi Road exit. Police say a truck changing lanes clipped the Honda hatchback.

Later in the day two cars crashed at Barkes Corner in Pyes Pa with one taking out a lamp post.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says the crash involving two Nissan Tida's happened at 12.40pm.

'Basically what has happened is one vehicle has failed to give way to another that was already on the roundabout,” says Ian.

The car, travelling south from Cameron Road, has struck the other car turning left out of Pyes Pa Road before veering into the lamp post, in front of Hirepool.

The Nissan Tida that hit the lamp post suffered considerable damage to the left-hand side of the vehicle, a cracked windshield and a shattered rear window.

The sole occupant of one vehicle and two people in the other were all uninjured.

Ian says the day's crashes show drivers need to concentrate on driving and minimise distractions.

'People need to make sure they minimise any distractions in their vehicle because a moments inattention can cause a crash.

'Of course sunstrike [in the car versus school bus crash] may have been a factor and I would advise people if they can't see, pull over and stop; that's really the bottom line.”

He says common sense must prevail when on the road – no matter what the situation.

'Drivers of heavy motor vehicles need to be particularly careful when changing lanes and if you are at an intersection apply the give way rules at all times.”

Police also responded to an oil spill on State Highway 2 in the Kaimai Ranges about 3.15pm.

Ian says the hydraulic oil covered a considerable distance in the Tauranga-bound lane, but no cordons or diversions were put in place.

'A significant amount of hydraulic oil was spilt over a distance of possibly 400 metres in the Tauranga-bound lane but of course that area has got three lanes so we are fortunate that traffic flows can be maintained.”