Northland road policing manager Inspector Murray Hodson said the decrease in infringements since 2010 was surprising, and police would need to conduct research to determine whether driver behaviour had improved.
Police partnerships with NZTA and Whangarei District Council had improved the phasing of traffic lights (based on identifiable problems) at various intersections.
Offending drivers often told police the amber light had turned to red while they were crossing an intersection, or that they could not stop safely, Mr Hodson said.
Nationwide, red light running was the most common traffic light-related infringement, with 10,898 infringement notices issued in 2012 alone, although that had decreased from 15,037 in 2010.
Men were up to three times more likely to commit a traffic-light-related offence, with the highest number of offenders in the 31-50 age bracket.
AA motoring affairs general manager Mike Noon said feedback from its members and the public showed they were "heartily sick and extremely unhappy" with people running red lights.
"We've got a habit in New Zealand which says the amber light means stamp on the accelerator," he said.
The downward trend in infringements could be attributed to several factors, including more media attention on road safety, people driving less in the economic downturn, and agencies having a "better, deeper conversation with public about road safety" in recent years.
Mr Noon expected further improvements with new generation red light cameras installed throughout the country.
The cameras will have radar to detect red light runners, and operate wirelessly to automatically send information to police.
