Revealed: NZ's busiest speed cameras

Photo / Herald on Sunday

The busiest speed camera in New Zealand issued more than 10,000 fines last year - as the national haul from speeding motorists hit a new high.

Police issued 442,123 speeding tickets last year, collected just under $26.5 million from tickets issued by officers and almost $27.3m from tickets issued by speed cameras.

The total of more than $53.75m compares with $52.72m in 2007, $50.99m in 2006 and $50.68 in 2005.

The country's busiest camera is in Brown's Bay, one of four on 21km of East Coast Rd on Auckland's North Shore.

Last year the camera between Spencer Rd and Oteha Valley Rd caught 10,111 drivers driving over the 50km/h limit.

The second busiest was on Mahia Rd in Manurewa, South Auckland, with 9804 tickets. Next came Great North Rd in Glendene, West Auckland (8629), Great South Rd in South Auckland (7330) and Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui (6962).

There were few complaints from East Coast Rd residents about living near the New Zealand's busiest camera - even though many had been ticketed themselves.

Trevor Robertson, who has lived there for five years, said the road was very busy and people often "hooned" along it. "I would think some people go down here at 100km/h - especially the motorbikes."

Robertson was snapped by the camera several years ago. "I was doing about 65 and the fine was about $120," he said.

Igor Mylatovich said the camera's constant flashing at night made the road look like a nightclub.

"I am happy though, because it's slowing people down. It is a busy road, I would imagine at least 120 cars go past every 10 minutes," he said.

"Having the camera there makes the road safer. I have no problems with it. I have even been caught by it."

Hilary Jackson was also snapped, as she left her home about a year ago.

"I was doing about 80km/h and was fined $270. I didn't realise I was going that fast. That was a wake-up call for me and I have never had another ticket."

Not everyone is convinced.

Christchurch resident Christopher Davies, who has had "loads" of fines, said the increase in the amount collected from speeding tickets was blatant revenue gathering.

"It's nothing to do with safety," he said. "I can't see that people are speeding more, all [the authorities] are doing is putting the cameras in places where people can't see them and being sneaky about it."

Waitakere City Council road safety co-ordinator Kitch Cuthbert said if people didn't want to pay fines they should slow down.

"These are fines the police would dearly love to be not collecting. We've got some of the worst road safety statistics in the Western world and if we are serious about doing something about it the most effective penalty is to hit people in the pocket."

A spokesman for Police Minister Judith Collins said she would need to take advice before she could comment.

But Labour law and order spokesman Clayton Cosgrove said the fines were about saving lives. "Police don't like the fact that people go around saying they're revenue gathering.

"They aren't getting the money but they are passionate about trying to save lives because we ain't the greatest drivers in the world."

Cosgrove said he had been ticketed for speeding. "Not for quite a number of years, when I've gone 10km/h over the limit and I learned from that."