NZ's 20 highest-earning speed cameras generated $44 million in fines in 2018

Tuesday, 2 April 2019

A staggering $44 million in fines was generated by just 20 fixed speed cameras across the country last year.

The biggest money-spinner of 2018 was the fixed camera on Great North Rd, in the small township of Kamo, north of Whangārei, which was only installed in January 2018 but rocketed straight into the nation's top spot.

It detected 46,917 speeding drivers during the calendar year, raking in $4.8m in fines.

The speed camera in Ngauranga Gorge is Wellington’s only entry in the top ten highest earners of 2018. It recorded 27,665 offences and generated $2.5m in fines.

The speed limit along the State Highway 1 route was lowered from 100kmh to 80kmh in 2015 after 40 crashes were recorded there between 2008 and 2012.

* South Canterbury speed cameras issue 51,516 tickets in five years

* High-tech average speed cameras coming to Auckland motorways

A new form of speed camera is coming to Auckland. The cameras catch speeding motorists for their average speed over a distance.

* Kiwis paid $74m in speeding fines in 2017**

The latest speeding fine figures were released by police following an Official Information Act request. The list of top 20 revenue-earners was dominated by fixed cameras in and around Auckland.

Wellington's Ngauranga Gorge speed camera, which has been the nation's biggest earner on several occasions, slipped down to seventh on the list, recording 27,665 speeding offences and generating $2.5m last year.

Two cameras keeping watch over the Auckland's Waterview Tunnel appeared in the top 20. They combined to ping 34,945 speeding motorists to the tune of $3.1m in fines

The fixed camera that issued the most tickets was on Rata St in the Auckland suburb of New Lynn.

There are 48 fixed speed cameras across the country, located at sites with a history of excessive vehicle speeds or serious and fatal crashes.

Canterbury's biggest earning Speed camera in Temuka generated $1.1m in 2018 after detecting 12,758 speeding motorists.

But Mark Stockdale, principal advisor for regulations at the Automobile Association (AA), said the key to enforcing speed limits was a combination of safety cameras and more visible signage.

'We believe there would be fewer speeding fines issued if every fixed speed camera was signed in advance, warning that there is a speed camera ahead. That would get people to check their speed and reduce it if necessary.'

When speed cameras were first introduced in New Zealand they were accompanied by signs warning motorists they were driving in a speed camera area, but they were eventually removed.

'There should be a large sign ahead of every fixed speed camera,' Stockdale said.

'If you did that and there were still cameras issuing lots of tickets then the AA would like to see the sites reviewed annually to see what else needs to be done to get motorists to comply with the speed limit. Getting a letter two weeks later does not get people to slow down.'

The South Island's largest earning speed camera was in Wansbeck St, Oamaru, which made $2.2m, while Canterbury's biggest earner was a camera in Temuka that generated $1.1m.

More than 484,000 were fined last year by the country's top 20 biggest earning speed cameras, but this figure does not include incidents where drivers broke the limit by more than 50kmh as these are dealt with by the courts.

Speeding fines increase progressively from $30 for speeds less than 10kmh over the limit, to a maximum fine of $630 for speeds up to 50kmh over the limit.

Money generated by speed cameras is paid directly to the Government, and not retained by police.

Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com, said speed cameras were a clumsy way of lowering the number of accidents and should be restricted to high-risk locations, such as Auckland's Waterview Tunnel and roads outside schools and old folks' homes.

'Speed cameras are very expensive and they tend to trap relatively innocent drivers, without doing much about the high risk drivers. Despite everything you've been told, the average driver drifting a little over the speed limit is not the problem,' he said.

'Speed display signs, which simply tell you the speed you're driving, cost a fraction of the cost of a speed camera, yet they're just as effective at slowing down drivers, without penalising relatively innocent breaches of the speed limit.'

THE TOP TICKETERS

Great North Rd, Kamo, Northland – 46,917 tickets worth $4,830,450

Rata St, New Lynn, Auckland – 48,149 tickets worth $4,338,360

Hillsborough Rd, Hillsborough, Auckland – 39,680 tickets worth $3,656,240

SH1, Dome Forest, Auckland – 35,968 tickets worth $3,561,560

Tamaki Drive, Parnell, Auckland – 36,253 tickets worth $3,255,180

SH2, Waikino, Waikato – 33,719 tickets worth $3,155,490

SH1, Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington – 27,665 tickets worth $2,563,470

Wansbeck St, Oamaru, North Otago – 25,946 tickets worth $2,251,680

SH20, Waterview Tunnel, Auckland – 23,320 tickets worth $2,115,530

East Coast Road, Redvale, Auckland – 19,913 tickets worth $2,094,870

Great South Rd, Otahuhu, Auckland – 22,436 tickets worth $1,956,500

Mahia Rd, Wattle Downs, Auckland – 21,971 tickets worth $1,891,190

SH29, Te Poi, Waikato – 16,513 tickets worth $1,566,100

SH1, Temuka, Canterbury – 12,758 tickets worth $1,190,070

Ngapipi Rd, Orakei, Auckland – 15,296 tickets worth $1,084,350

SH20, Waterview Tunnel, Auckland – 11,625 tickets worth $1,037,660

Great North Rd, Henderson, Waitemata – 11,663 tickets worth $992,260

Whitford Brown Ave, Aotea, Porirua – 11,086 tickets worth $918,500

Great North Rd, Kelston, Auckland – 12,028 tickets worth $839,150

West Coast Rd, Glen Eden, Auckland – 11,433 tickets worth $793,840