Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is committed to achieving Road to Zero, a vision for an Aotearoa New Zealand where no deaths or serious injuries occur on our roads.

To support this, Waka Kotahi will be installing a new safety camera in Northland.

Steve Mutton, Director Regional Relationships Waka Kotahi says that the installation of this camera is a crucial step towards improving road safety in Northland, particularly on high-risk roads where the likelihood of deaths and serious injuries is higher.

“Safety cameras are just one of the many tools that can be utilised to promote safe and efficient travel in Te Tai Tokerau.

“The primary objective of safety cameras is to support the moderation of speed across our road network to reduce crashes that cause deaths or serious injuries. Even small reductions in speed can significantly reduce the risk of deaths and serious injuries on our roads” says Mr Mutton.

The safety camera will be operated as a static speed camera, measuring vehicle speeds towards or away from the camera, and will be located on State Highway 1 between Kawakawa and Moerewa. It is set to be installed this month.

Initially the camera will be in test mode to ensure that all operational and legal requirements are met. At the end of this testing the camera will start enforcing offences to promote safe driving habits and encourage motorists to adhere to speed limits.

Plans for the rollout of additional cameras in Tāmaki Makaurau are already underway and are expected to commence later this year.

Additional information

Waka Kotahi is delivering a new approach to safety cameras to help reduce the number of people being killed and seriously injured on our roads. This will involve increasing the number and type of safety cameras on high-risk areas of the roading network in Aotearoa New Zealand keep our communities safe and encourage people to make safe driving choices.

Overseas evidence has shown that the use of safety cameras has proven to significantly reduce the rate of deaths and serious injuries when combined with safe speed limits. 

Safety camera types

This is a fixed (static) speed safety camera. Fixed static speed cameras are used to measure the speed of vehicles (travelling to or away from the camera), identify which lane they are travelling in and differentiate between vehicles such as heavy trucks and cars which have different speed limits. An infrared flash enables number plate information to be captured in the dark.

This fixed speed safety camera will have Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) capability. A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is in progress. This will ensure that the appropriate safeguards and policies are in place to manage the test data collected. The PIA will be published on the Waka Kotahi website before the safety camera is installed.

Other safety cameras which Waka Kotahi will be using as part of its new approach include cameras at intersections that can detect both speeding and red light offences. Subject to future legislation changes Waka Kotahi also plans to roll out average speed (point-to-point or P2P) cameras and potential future camera technology such as tailgating, mobile phone use or seatbelt detection.

Safety camera site selection

The identified site in Kawakawa is the preferred location based on the following:

• Meets Waka Kotahi’s definition of a high-risk site
• The posted speed limit of 80kph is the assessed safe and appropriate speed.
• The average (actual) driving speed is above the posted speed limit of 80kph.
• The location meets all criteria for installation, such as providing enough space for the camera and having good cell phone reception.

The site selection process aims to ensure that safety cameras are located where they can deliver most safety benefit alongside other measures, including safety infrastructure and speed limit reductions.

Whilst historically sites have been chosen based on crash history, we are aiming to take a more proactive approach in defining high risk locations. This includes consideration of average speeds, the function of the road, the volumes on the road and crash trends. Sites are prioritised based on a balance of the above criteria. 
 
For local roads, Waka Kotahi will take a partnership approach with local councils and Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) on where safety cameras can support safety outcomes.

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