A woman putting hair rollers in her hair while driving around Tauranga is one of the most extreme cases of distracted drivers police have encountered in the city during the last week.

Talking on cellphones, adjusting a stereo, or changing a CD are also ways drivers can get distracted, says Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion.

People are being asked to remove all distractions from their vehicles.

'But it goes beyond that, even talking to your passengers – having an in-depth discussion with passengers – can distract you from what you're doing.

'Dealing with children in the backseat that need attention is another major distraction; as well as things you're carrying on the front seat and you put your arm out to stop them rolling off when you go around a corner.”

It's all these minor things that happen in a vehicle Ian says can take driver's minds off their driving and off their environment – and can lead to a crash.

'Really, it's only a moment; and this is the thing I don't think people think about, is that a moment's inattention can end up in tragedy.

'A split second is all it takes. If you think about things, if you're travelling at 50km/h you are almost travelling at 14 metres per second. So a couple of blinks and you have travelled 24 metres.”

Ian urges people to remove any distractions from their vehicle and if any do crop up, like a phone call or children needing attention, t he asks people to pull over before dealing with it.