Motorists driving between Wellington and Petone will now see a new fixture – the housing for a second fixed speed camera on this stretch of motorway.
The new site is on State Highway 2, between Horokiwi Road and the Petone off-ramp.
An existing camera site on State Highway 1 at Thorndon, near the Molesworth Street overbridge, was recently upgraded.
Both sites will house digital speed cameras featuring the latest generation technology. They are scheduled to go live on Monday, 20 October.
They are two of 56 new fixed speed cameras being placed across the country in sites assessed as having a high risk of speed-related crashes. The network will be fully operational by April 2016.
In an extensive site selection process, robust independent analysis based on 10 years of crash data was followed with extensive consultation with local experts. “Our staff met with a wide range of stakeholders, including local representatives from the New Zealand Transport Agency, city and district councils, Road Transport Forum, the AA and others,” says Superintendent Carey Griffiths, National Manager of Road Policing. “They know the roads like the backs of their hands, so their knowledge of local road and safety issues was invaluable to the decision-making process.”
Twelve cameras are being installed in the first phase of the rollout, which sees six digital cameras in Wellington and six in Auckland. The first camera became operational in Ngauranga Gorge in July 2014. The infrastructure for three other cameras is now in place in Wainuiomata, Waiwhetu and Aotea. Wainuiomata and Waiwhetu will both go operational on 13 October. The Aotea camera will go operational once issues with a tree are resolved.
Locations of the 44 second phase cameras will be announced when Police has finished consultation with stakeholders.
Assistant Commissioner Road Policing, Dave Cliff, says the cameras are being introduced as part of the government’s Safer Journey’s strategy, which aims to make New Zealand roads increasingly free of death and serious injury.
“International research is clear: speed cameras reduce traffic speed and road crashes, and help to reduce injury severity. Small reductions in speed greatly reduce the likelihood of a crash and increase the chances of surviving crashes that do occur.”
ENDS
For more information about the new cameras, go to: http://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/media-kit-new-static-cameras
National Police media contact: Ross Henderson, 021 192 2919 or 04 470 7316.
Wellington District Police media contact: Nick Bohm, 021 192 1816.
Media Note: These cameras are being placed in high risk crash areas, often on busy roads and highways. Extreme care should therefore be taken when visiting, photographing or filming in these areas. It remains the responsibility of media organisations to ensure the safety of their staff.