Waikato Police are urging motorists to watch their following distances after a serious crash on a busy highway led to the death of a woman in hospital overnight.

Last Friday's crash on State Highway 1 at Karapiro last Friday led to the death of Hamilton woman Maureen Joan Davies and was one of 23 road collisions that Waikato Police attended over the weekend.

The scene of last Friday's accident on State Highway 1 at Karapiro which led to the death of 69-year-old Hamilton woman Maureen Joan Davies. Photo: Philips Search & Rescue Trust

Acting District Road Policing Manager Inspector Dana McDonald says the 69-year-old woman's death yesterday in Waikato Hospital is a tragedy both the public and police are working to prevent.

'At the time of Friday afternoon's crash,” says Dana, 'a member of the public was on the phone to police reporting concerns about a woman driving a northbound white Mitsubishi Galant.

'Tragically, as police were responding the Galant has collided with Mrs Davies' Toyota Echo that was also in the northbound lane but stationary in a line of traffic halted for road works.”

Dana adds that the Mitsubishi Galant had been described as allegedly weaving across the road.

The woman was airlifted to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries following the crash but later died in hospital early Sunday morning.

The crash is now being investigated by the Serious Crash Unit and police are appealing for any witnesses who haven't yet spoken to officers to make contact with Cambridge Police.

While too early to speculate on the cause of the crash police can confirm it was one of 23 collisions attended over the weekend, several of which occurred in wet weather.

This Friday is Waitangi Day and traffic on popular holiday weekend routes like SH25/SH25A around the Coromandel Peninsula are expected to have heavier than normal flows.

'What we see in the Coromandel in particular over the summer holidays is an area served by rural roads with a population of 15-30,000 swell to over 130,000.

'One of the challenges associated with this is people come off the northern motorways on to our rural road network needing to adjust their driving habits.”

Dana adds: "An example of this was last week on Auckland Anniversary Day when a motorist 18th in a line of 21 cars on SH25 tried to pass number 17 in line on a bend.”

'They were on the wrong side of the road confronting a patrol car, what we need in these conditions is patience, not pace setting.”

Dana says police would be maintaining a highly visible presence on Waikato roads this week with the reopening of schools and an even greater presence on the roads this Waitangi weekend.

If you witnessed the fatal crash on State Highway 1 at Karapiro and have not spoken to an officer, please call Cambridge Police on 07-827-5531.