From 9.15am to 10.25am officers detected 20 drivers exceeding the 80km/h speed limit in the Kauri zone, almost one every three minutes. Speedsters were travelling between 6km/h and 18km/h over the speed limit.
New Zealand Transport Agency said the 80km/h speed restriction was put in place from Kauri to Springs Flat in April to reduce the number of high severity speed-related crashes. Between 2008 and 2012 there were 40 crashes of which 24 per cent involved excess speed, which compared with a national average for the type of state highway of 13 per cent.
This year the stretch of road has seen one fatal crash and last month there was a serious crash involving three vehicles, containing six people, including two young children, outside the main gate to Croft for Poles.
Northland police acting road policing manger Inspector Wayne Ewers said there were plenty of 80km/h signs on the Springs Flat to Kauri stretch of road and for drivers to say they had not seen them was no excuse.
"It's a high crash area and we don't want any more. We make no apologies for taking this stance and there will be heavy enforcement until people are educated."
Some drivers who were nabbed apologised and admitted they knew the speed was reduced to 80km/h but had not being paying attention, while one Auckland construction manager told police his latest ticket for doing 95km/h would make him "tight on demerit points".
"It's far too many speeding drivers quiet frankly. There is a reason why we have speed limits," Mr Ewers said.
In Paihia as police were going to their position, a motorist was clocked doing 136km/h near Puketona. Further investigations revealed he was a disqualified driver and his vehicle was impounded. And as they were about to leave their location another disqualified motorist was caught doing 110km/h and had their vehicle impounded. They issued a total of 11 tickets to speedsters.
In Kaiwaka officers handed out 11 tickets which included two to drivers of truck and trailer units, travelling 58km/h and 62km/h in a 50km/h zone.
The highest speed of the day there was a motorist travelling at 22km/h over the 50km/h limit at Kaiwaka. In Kaeo one of eight drivers issued with speeding tickets blamed his misdemeanour on Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, who he was listening to on the radio.
New Zealand police lowered their speed threshold at the beginning of December as part of a summer campaign lasting two months and Northland officers have been out on the roads seeing if motorists are adhering to the speed limit. The threshold is now 4km/h over the posted speed limit, which will be enforced through until the end of January next year.
