Police disappointed with results of speed blitz

Dunedin police say they are extremely disappointed with the results of the latest speed blitz on the Southern Motorway.

On Easter Monday, and the following day, police issued 82 tickets for speeding on the motorway between Mosgiel and Fairfield.

Police strategic traffic Acting Sergeant Andrew Camp said 55 tickets were issued in five hours on Easter Monday, from about 3.30pm, and another 27 tickets the following day, in about three hours, from about 3pm.

The highest speed recorded on Monday was 146kmh, with the driver automatically losing his licence for 28 days. On Tuesday, the highest speed recorded was 136kmh.

Sgt Camp said it was extremely disappointing to have to issue so many tickets, especially when wide publicity had been given to the fact police would be out in numbers in the area.

On Good Friday 22 people were caught speeding on the same stretch of road, between 11.20am and 1.30pm, with a highest speed of 146kmh.

The night before, 55 speeding tickets were issued on the Northern and Southern Motorways, with a top speed of 136kmh.

In a similar blitz in the area in January, police issued 86 speeding tickets.

"What was especially bad was the number of drivers we caught with their family with them,'' Sergeant Camp said yesterday.

The stretch of road had one of the highest death rates per kilometre in the country.

The excuses police heard were all familiar, such as: [I was just] "keeping up with traffic''.

Traffic was very heavy on the road, and many drivers were weaving through traffic at high speed. Drivers caught were from right across the age range.

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement