Gisborne Herald
  • Gisborne Herald Home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Gisborne
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Hawke's Bay

Media

  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Opinion
Home / Gisborne Herald / Opinion

More cameras on way, to save lives

Opinion by
Gisborne Herald
18 Mar, 2023 11:29 AMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The decision of the NZ Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi, to back away from what it calls saturation of New Zealand roads with new speed cameras because of a feared public backlash could cost hundreds of lives.

In a business case released to RNZ, the agency was looking at six options for more speed cameras, alongside more severe penalties and faster processing times. The most extreme option, which was to treat all corridors across the country with speed cameras, was estimated to save 2200 to 3400 lives over 20 years. This maximum saturation option would also have seen all the existing speed cameras transferred from police to the agency.

Instead, Waka Kotahi has adopted an option that it believes will save between 1500 and 2400 lives.

A report to the agency said the maximum option was too hard and costly to build, and risked alienating people. It would have an eroding effect on social licence with the public, by saturating the network with cameras in less than 10 years. Instead, the agency is going for a more gradual approach that will add a lot of new cameras a year — though the actual numbers were blanked out from the report.

Despite the pullback, the agency still expects the number of drivers caught to increase from 1 million to 3 million offences a year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Earlier this year Waka Kotahi bought 26 cameras for speed and red light running detection only. The other cameras being tested now will spot people using their phones or not wearing their seatbelts. Tests of these new cameras in Auckland have snapped 50,000 offences of drivers using their phones or not having their seatbelts on.

From January 1 to last night there were 226 deaths from crashes in New Zealand; 22 more than at the same time last year.

The agency finds itself in a battle with a “she'll be right” attitude by drivers in this country, particularly in some sectors such as young males aged 18 to 25. Despite horrific crashes like the one south of Picton in June, there is still an attitude that “this won't affect me”.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Many drivers find themselves creeping over a limit by 10kmh or a little more at times and fines at that level, while not welcome, are generally accepted.

But the attitude persists that speed cameras are just a revenue-collecting device for police and despite many cars having Bluetooth, some people continue to drive while using their phones. Drivers who don't like being fined have a simple solution: slow down.

Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Gisborne Herald

Tairāwhiti developed off-grid communication network saving thousands of dollars

22 Sep 04:01 AM
Gisborne Herald

'Test of endurance': Titirangi challenge back to raise funds for bowel cancer

22 Sep 02:14 AM
Gisborne Herald

Police inquiries ongoing after Gisborne crash brings down power pole

22 Sep 02:11 AM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Tairāwhiti developed off-grid communication network saving thousands of dollars
Gisborne Herald

Tairāwhiti developed off-grid communication network saving thousands of dollars

The blackout during Cyclone Gabrielle pushed Tairāwhiti to find solutions.

22 Sep 04:01 AM
'Test of endurance': Titirangi challenge back to raise funds for bowel cancer
Gisborne Herald

'Test of endurance': Titirangi challenge back to raise funds for bowel cancer

22 Sep 02:14 AM
Police inquiries ongoing after Gisborne crash brings down power pole
Gisborne Herald

Police inquiries ongoing after Gisborne crash brings down power pole

22 Sep 02:11 AM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Gisborne Herald
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Gisborne Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP