Now, drivers are being asked not to be tempted to drift over the limit.
Documents released to the Otago Daily Times show Oamaru’s SH1 fixed speed camera captured the seventh-most speedsters in New Zealand this year, resulting in
12,540 tickets being issued from January to the end of November.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi director of regional relations for the central and lower South Island James Caygill said Oamaru’s section of SH1 featured a "relatively long straight stretch of road, including double lanes at times" on which motorists could find themselves drifting over the speed limit.
This was especially the case on a drive from Christchurch to Dunedin.
"However, the limit of 50kmh through the town is in place for good reason given the residential areas the highway passes through," he said.
Speed affected the severity of crashes, even in cases when speed was not the cause of the crash.
"We urge people to stick to the speed limit at all times for their own safety and the safety of others."
Oamaru’s camera is the Otago region’s highest ticketer.
Dunedin’s Southern Motorway camera, also on SH1, catches the second-most speeding motorists in the region, which resulted in 5144 tickets being issued between January and November.
New Zealand Police director of road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said police would not only be targeting speed but also other factors, including distracted drivers, seatbelts and impairment over the holiday period.
"Over the years too many people have died needlessly on our roads. For us, it doesn’t get much worse than telling a family their loved one has been killed or seriously hurt in a crash, and at this time of year it’s even more horrific."
He said people should not expect a warning.
"If you don’t think the rules matter, ask yourself, ‘Who do I want to kill? Myself, my passengers, or the people in the other car?’."
