An elderly driver is the eighth person to die on NSW roads within 48 hours.
The 84-year-old man died in hospital after his car mounted a kerb and hit a fence in Sydney's west on Sunday, while two young men, aged 17 and 18, were killed in a ute crash south of Bathurst on Saturday.
Four other men and one woman died in accidents across the state, bringing this year's road toll to 320, which is 38 more deaths than this time last year.
Police say the majority of circumstances surrounding the fatal crashes - with an average of one person dying every six hours - were "completely avoidable" and could be linked to driver fatigue, drink-driving or speeding.
"It's becoming the norm and it should not be the norm. We should not accept this as our normal way of life," Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
"Those families and extended families are now grieving eight people whose lives could have been saved."
He said people appeared "lulled into a false sense of security" by the state's spring weather and asked for a combined effort from road users ahead of the Christmas break.
"When you leave home with your family and friends, please think about what you're doing, please think about how you're driving, the distractions and your destination," Mr Corboy said.
