Signs reading ‘Safety Camera Area’ have been springing up on roadsides following a Government directive.
As of the start of November, 41 of the 52 active fixed speed cameras listed on the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi website have been signposted.
With cameras placed in areas where there is a high crash risk, the AA’s road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen is very pleased with the progress. He says the new signage, which is destined for all fixed cameras, could save lives and reduce harm. Mobile cameras will not be signposted.
A newly installed speed camera sign.
“We’ve been calling on the Government for a long time to signpost permanent speed cameras, so people get the opportunity to check their speed and slow down as they pass through high-risk locations where the consequences of speeding can be very serious.”
In 2019 the Government at the time pledged to mark speed camera zones as part of a ‘no surprises’ policy. Similar measures around speed camera signage have been in use in many overseas jurisdictions for some time.
Dylan says the primary function of speed cameras is to deter people from speeding and reduce the chances of crashing, not to punish or collect revenue from tickets.
“A sign reminding people they could get pinged provides an incentive to travel within the speed limit; we think this is more effective than someone getting a ticket in the mail and having to remember to slow down next time.
“We know the signs work. A ‘Reduce Speed Now’ sign (different from those being rolled out) was set up near a camera in Kawakawa, in Northland, which saw speeding infringements decrease by more than 50%.”
It’s hoped the signs will encourage people to follow speed limits in other high-risk areas.
Story by Matt Tso for the Summer 2024 issue of AA Directions Magazine. Matt Tso is a Communications Advisor with the AA's Motoring Policy team in Wellington who regularly contributes to AA Directions magazine.
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