It's been a tragic start to the christmas holiday period on Tasmania's roads.

After a French tourist was killed in the south last weekend, a Devonport man has died on the Bass Highway at Parramatta Creek.

It's prompted yet another warning from Tasmania Police.

Around four o'clock yesterday afternoon this subaru sedan was travelling east along the Bass Highway at Parramatta Creek when it crossed to the incorrect side of the road and into the path of an oncoming Holded Astra.

The sole occupant of the Holden, a fifty four year old Devonport man died instantly.

The seventeen year old driver of the Subaru was taken to the Launceston General Hospital in a critical condition and later transferred to the Royal Hobart where he remains in a serious condition.

Inspector Darren Hopkins said "It could be the driver fell asleep, using a mobile phone texting, it may have been changing a CD we really don't know. We're calling for witnesses who may have seen either vehicle prior to the crash."

The Bass Highway was closed for four hours ... police diverting traffic around the crash scene.

Meanwhile police in New Norfolk arrested a thirty seven year old man for a high range drink driving incident yesterday. He was unlicensed, riding an unregistered trail bike with a blood alcohol reading of point two four nine.

Police preparing for the annual christmas crack down after the second fatality on Tasmanian roads for this christmas holiday period.

Mr Hopkins said "It's a tragic start we've increased our number of police vehicles and high visibility police vehicles on the road to kerb this sort of crash but not only on the roads we'll be looking at public disorder issues over the christmas period."

The state's road toll stands at sixty three for the year compared to 39 for the same period last year.