Thirty-five new speed cameras are set to be rolled out early this year, the New Zealand Transport Agency and police have announced.
National manager of road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said the measure is the latest part of a $10 million project which will see up to 56 speed cameras placed across the country in areas with the highest risk of speed-related crashes.
Since 2014, 15 of the fixed speed cameras have been put in place and the locations and details of the next 35 should be confirmed in the next two months.
The locations and details of the sites will be released to the public once they are finalised, Mr Greally said. Police welcome publicity and discussion of the sites "if it helps to raise people's awareness of checking their speed and driving more safely, as this has a positive impact on road safety for all of us," he said.
"The purpose of the cameras is to encourage motorists to slow down, which makes things safer for all road users, as international evidence shows that a reduction in mean speeds across the roading network means fewer people killed and injured. That's fewer grieving families left behind and fewer communities left emptier," Mr Greally said.
The money generated by the cameras goes to the government's consolidated fund and not to police, but they'd be glad to not have to issue any tickets "as it would show everyone was doing the right thing and checking their speed and driving appropriately to the conditions, which would result in fewer deaths and injuries on the roads".
Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson said that introducing new speed cameras is a waste of time in terms of reducing the road toll, and there are more vital safety measures that should be focused on.
He supported fixed speed cameras in "very high risk places such as outside children's schools, kindergartens, old people's homes where they cross the road" but said overseas research shows that speed measurement signs that tell drivers their speed are more effective".
"It's much better to simply tell people how fast they are driving and they then slow down themselves, without any need to issue a ticket and everybody's happy".
Mr Matthew-Wilson said the lack of traffic barriers was a huge safety problem in New Zealand and should be more of a priority than new speed cameras.
"Many New Zealand roads are like a long steep staircase without a handrail, you make the slightest mistake, you're going to get hurt. Does it need to happen?
"No, you put a handrail on because even though everybody should behave carefully on roads and stairs, the reality is they're going to make mistakes and if those mistakes turn into fatalities it's largely in the Government's hands.
"Many of the most dangerous roads in New Zealand don't have median barriers. Not because they couldn't get them tomorrow, it's just that they say it's more important that we keep the traffic flowing freely."
Nineteen people were killed on New Zealand roads over the holiday period, the worst road toll in five years.
Mr Greally said police welcome publicity and discussion of the speed camera sites once they are announced, "if it helps to raise people's awareness of checking their speed and driving more safely, as this has a positive impact on road safety for all of us."
In 2015, 32 percent of fatal crashes had speed as a contributing factor and the total social cost of crashes involving speeding drivers was about $940 million or 25 percent of the social cost of injury crashes.
Newshub.
