SH5 speeders warned as limit returns to 100km/h

State Highway 5 near Eskdale, where motorists are advised that the speed limit has been increased (to 100km/h), and to 'drive with care'. Photo / Doug Laing

• Police report speeding on State Highway 5, with average ticketed speeds of 116km/h after a limit increase.
• Offences remain constant, but speed and rudeness towards officers have increased, says the police eastern district.
• Police urge motorists to prioritise safety and report unsafe driving, following a fatal crash investigation.

Speeding motorists on the Hawke’s Bay highway where the speed limit was increased last week from 80km/h to 100km/h have been given a big thumbs down, and a warning.

Police eastern district road policing manager Angela Hallett said as the holiday weekend drew to a close on Monday, that the average ticket speed on State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō was 116km/h.

Offences had been at about the same rate as before the limit was restored on Thursday morning, after being 80km/h for the past three years. Too many of those caught were being “rude” to police officers trying to keep road-users safe, she said.

“The number of infringements being issued has remained the same, and speed has increased,” Hallett said.

“It is incredibly frustrating that we are catching so many drivers who are not only risking their own lives, but also those of other motorists.

“We’re also disappointed that some drivers who have been stopped for speeding this weekend have been rude to our staff at receiving a ticket for speeding,” she said.

“This is absolutely unacceptable.”

Hallett said staff were “out working hard on a public holiday weekend to keep everyone safe”.

“They are the ones who turn up to serious crashes, often witnessing horrific scenes. They are trying to prevent people from being victims of this type of tragedy.

“After these disappointing results, police will now be out in force on SH5, so if you are travelling at excess speed you can expect to be stopped and held to account,” she said.

All motorists were being asked to take road safety seriously and also to be the eyes and ears of the police.

“Slow down, use your seatbelt, make sure you are well-rested and not impaired by drugs or alcohol, and put any distractions away,” she said.

“Report unsafe driving if it’s happening now to 111 or, if it happened some time ago, through our 105 service.”

 At mid-afternoon yesterday, police were yet to release details of a person who died on Saturday as a result of injuries received in a crash on the highway.

The crash involving a truck and a car, occurred less than 24 hours before the higher speed limit came into effect.

 It happened in treacherous conditions at the mid-way point of Tarawera at about 8.50am last Wednesday.

The person was flown to Wellington with critical injuries, but was understood to have been returned to Hawke’s Bay.

One other person was reported to have moderate injuries.

In a statement on Monday police extended their sympathies to the family of the deceased, and also said the investigation of the circumstances was ongoing.

 The nationwide King’s Birthday Weekend road toll period, which started at 4pm on Friday, had by Sunday night reached five – its highest since 2019, and two more than for the three-day break last year.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.