There was more disappointment for traffic police in Dunedin on the fourth day of a three-week speeding campaign as they booked 42 drivers in a two-hour period.
There was also some hope as monitoring showed an average 10kmh reduction in speeds on one of Dunedin's fastest stretches.
The 42 ticketed drivers were stopped on Portobello Rd near Company Bay, where they were clocked travelling at a combined average speed of 70kmh - 20kmh over the limit - between 3.30pm and 5.30pm on Wednesday.
The fastest speed was 85kmh.
The officer in charge of Operation Stop Speeding, Sergeant Chris McLellan, said while most drivers drove responsibly, there were a few who either blatantly ignored speed limits or were not aware of what speed zone they were in.
In one of the worst incidents, a driver of a 4WD travelling at 70kmh passed two police cars returning to Dunedin on Portobello Rd.
"His explanation was that he was trying to look after his dog - while passing two cars near a blind corner."
More than 100 people were issued with tickets on Wednesday by patrols in Portobello Rd, roads south of Dunedin and around the Waikouaiti area, including more than 40 on the Northern Motorway between Pine Hill and the Kilmog.
The tickets, and those issued around the city yesterday, were likely to bring the total issued in the first five days of the campaign to more than 200, Sgt McLellan said"We know what people can think about these sorts of operations . . . they are certainly creating a lot of talk and that can be good.
"Our goal is to prevent crashes and get speeds down and save lives."
That message would be brought home even further this weekend as the Road Safety Partners Group embarked on a media campaign, he said.
All was not negative though and, despite what staff had witnessed on Wednesday, the message did seem to be getting across, Sgt McLellan said.
Police monitors had recorded an average speed drop of 10kmh on the stretch of road dropping from Lookout Point to Caversham since a December speeding campaign which focused on that area.
