Dunedin is home to the South Island's most prolific
speed-camera site, as New Zealand speed camera infringement
notices hit record levels.
Figures released to the Otago Daily Times under the Official
Information Act reveal 652,346 speed-camera notices were
issued to motorists in the 2011-12 fiscal year, an increase
of 5885 on the previous year.
"Ideally, we want the numbers to be coming down, because we
want people complying with the speed rather than us ticketing
them," New Zealand Police acting road policing operations
manager Inspector Peter McKennie said.
The increase was small compared with the 185,932 rise in
2010-11, to 646,461 from 460,529 in 2009-10. This was largely
the result of police enforcing a lower speed tolerance during
the holiday period.
Despite the record number of notices, police were forecasting
the figure would plateau, he said.
"We are not in the business of wanting to issue lots of
tickets.
"We are in the business of keeping people safe on the roads."
The majority of speed-camera fines ranged between $30 and
$80, with the maximum $630 notices given to the few motorists
snapped driving more than 40kmh over the speed limit.
Police did not collate data on those people being ticketed
due to the "sheer volume" of notices, but confirmed they did
monitor repeat driving offenders from the commercial driving
sector.
Nationwide, police operated 12 fixed cameras, which were
frequently moved around other fixed sites, and about 45
mobile cameras targeting largely high crash areas, Insp
McKennie said.
Police were assessing their static cameras, and "we are
looking at new technology to replace them".
"It is quite likely the number of fixed cameras will
increase."
The introduction of speed cameras had helped to reduce speeds
on the road and the road toll and "that indicates they are
effective".
All fines went into the Government's consolidated fund, he
said.
"We are not in the business of trying to issue lots of
notices and trying to gather revenue. All we want is for
people to drive safely within the speed limits, and also to
drive to the conditions."
Police did not record the amount of revenue paid for each
speed camera, but the country's most prolific site, on State
Highway 1 in Sanson, resulted in 12,106 notices during
2011-12.
The most prolific camera in the South Island was in Caversham
Valley Rd, near Lookout Point, Dunedin. That camera snapped
3304 motorists over the same period.
Southern District road policing manager Inspector Andrew
Burns said the camera was placed there because of the number
of crashes at Barnes Dr.
That part of Caversham Valley Rd was to undergo changes as
part of the second stage of the New Zealand Transport
Agency's planned improvements.
"With the changes to the road layout, it's yet to be
determined whether the camera will remain on its current site
or be placed elsewhere," Insp Burns said.
Waitemata recorded the highest number of notices issued in
2011-12 with 134,776, but this was down on the 154,354 in the
previous 12 months.
The three Auckland police districts of Waitemata, Auckland
City and Counties-Manukau accounted for just under half of
all speed notices issued in the country during 2011-12.
Southern was eighth out of the 12 police districts, with
37,071 speed notices issued.
-hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz
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