A mobile speed camera will be placed at known boy racer hotspots around Lyttelton Harbour in October as part of a community-led effort to make the area’s roads safer.

After decades of being woken in the middle of the night by boy racers, Lyttelton resident Dave Dunlay and Cass Bay residents Miguel de Valdenebro and Scott Adams launched the Quieter, Safer Roads initiative last year.

The group raised $3500 through community donations to hire a mobile speed camera for a month, but delayed deploying it until daylight saving time when the roads are busier.

“Everything achieved has been made possible through the efforts of volunteers and the generosity of local supporters,” Dunlay said.

The camera is expected to rotate between four locations from mid-October to mid-November, with Governors Bay, Cass Bay, Lyttelton and Evans Pass Rd being considered.

It will record the speed and noise of passing vehicles but cannot issue infringement notices or fines.

The equipment will operate 24 hours a day for seven consecutive days at each location, capturing weekday and weekend traffic patterns to build a snapshot of the current conditions.

The data collected will be shared with Police, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the city council to help guide future safety measures.

Said Dunlay: “It’s just so we can get some hard data and say look, here’s what people around the harbour have been putting up with.

“What can we do to try and get something in place permanently that will help change drivers’ and riders’ behaviour?”

Dunlay said a permanent camera or a set of mobile cameras administered by NZTA could be among the long-term solutions.

The initiative comes as further safety improvements are planned for Evans Pass Rd, which has been the scene of several serious crashes over the past 18 months.

In early March, well-known multisport athlete and cyclist Ian Huntsman, 60, died in hospital two weeks after being seriously injured in a crash involving a vehicle on Evans Pass Rd.

Two weeks ago, Tyson Stechman appeared in the district court and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop. He is due to be sentenced in October.

NZTA has said it has no plans to install a permanent speed camera on Evans Pass Rd.