The New Zealand Automobile Association (AA NZ) has welcomed the installation of speed camera warning signs aimed at promoting safer driving in high-risk areas.
This initiative commenced with the operation of the first permanent speed camera accompanied by warning signs on State Highway 1 between Kawakawa and Moerewa in Northland.
The government plans to extend this measure over the next year, installing warning signs ahead of all permanent speed cameras across the country, a strategy the AA has advocated for some time.
Signs to let drivers know there is a permanent camera ahead will be more effective at slowing people down in those higher-risk locations,” says AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen. “Speed cameras are primarily about deterring people from speeding, not punishing them. No one wants a ticket, so giving people the opportunity to check their speed and slow down through high-risk crash areas is better than issuing a ticket and relying on them to remember to slow down next time.”
A permanent camera on State Highway 1 in Kauri, Northland, has had warning signs since 2018. These signs have led to a significant reduction in speeding incidents, cutting them by more than half.
“That’s a significant reduction in people speeding and the AA expects adding warning signage will see similar drops in people exceeding the speed limit at other permanent camera sites,” Thomsen said.
Thomsen also noted that using signs to alert drivers is a fairer method for encouraging safe driving. Despite the new signage, mobile speed cameras and police officers will continue their operations without such warnings.
The AA welcomed the nationwide implementation of the signage program, which had faced delays in previous years.
In other news, the Better New Zealand Trust recently expressed concerns regarding possible amendments to the Clean Car Standard (CCS), a government initiative designed to lower CO2 emissions in the transport sector.
The trust fears that the Ministry of Transport’s review might result in weakened CCS targets, leading to higher costs for drivers and hampering the country's emission reduction goals.
Kathryn Trounson, chairperson of the Better NZ Trust, outlined several potential issues, including the impact on electric vehicle (EV) affordability.
“We are concerned that this review, and the bill currently before Parliament, are steps towards watering down the Clean Car Standard,” she said. “This, coming on top of the removal of the Clean Car Discount and the imposition of RUC on EVs, threatens to put EVs out of reach for more New Zealanders, increase the cost of living for families, tie New Zealand into importing fossil fuels for decades to come, make our country a dumping ground for high emissions second-hand vehicles that other countries do not want, [and] make it harder for New Zealand to achieve its emissions reduction goals.”
The trust warned that importing higher-emission vehicles would raise living costs for New Zealand families. A robust CCS helps make EVs and hybrids more affordable, reducing running costs. Conversely, a weakened CCS would mean higher prices and fewer low-emission vehicle options, leading to increased spending on petrol and diesel and extended reliance on oil imports.
