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• Safety cameras improve road safety by encouraging adherence to speed limits and red lights.
• Evidence shows they significantly reduce speeds, crashes, deaths and serious injuries.
• The safety camera network is expanding, transitioning from police to broader national coverage.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has announced it will have new mobile safety cameras in SUVs next week, with trailers set to join the fleet later this year.

For the first time in New Zealand, speeding vehicles will be detected by cameras operating in SUVs, alongside the vans that police have traditionally used, the agency said.

NZTA announced that trailers with safety cameras will also be added later this year.

Speeding vehicles will be detected by cameras operating in SUVs from next week, with trailers to be added to the fleet later this year. Photo / NZTA

“A camera-equipped sports utility vehicle [SUV] will be parking up on roadsides across Auckland from next Tuesday [May 13] to improve safety for all road users by detecting drivers exceeding speed limits.

“In the coming months, it will be joined by other SUVs and trailers as NZTA expands its mobile safety camera operations across the country to a total of 44 mobile cameras – 35 of which will be operating at any given time.”

A camera equipped SUV will be parking up on roadsides across Auckland and detecting speeding from May 13. Photo / NZTA

From July 1, NZTA said it will be responsible for the operation of all safety cameras and New Zealand Police will no longer be using camera vans.

The police will continue to issue notices for the offences they detect.

New cameras set to reduce harm caused by crashes

NZTA said speeding drivers can cause serious harm on the roads, including deaths and serious injuries.

“Evidence shows that we can reduce the chance of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes if drivers travel within speed limits, and that is why we have safety cameras,” said head of regulatory strategic programmes Tara Macmillan.

The NZTA says safety cameras in SUVs and trailers will be visible to drivers and will not be hidden, but they won’t be signposted. Photo / NZTA

“Mobile safety cameras reduce deaths and serious injuries by discouraging speeding generally, and they are most effective when they are deployed nationwide on a ‘anytime, anywhere’ basis.”

The exact timing and location of mobile safety cameras is informed by evidence, which may include crash data and feedback from local communities.

Mobile cameras are set to be used in places where there is a risk of people being killed or seriously injured in a crash.

“Evidence shows that unsigned mobile safety cameras are twice as effective at reducing crashes than signposted cameras, so while our safety cameras in SUVs and trailers will be visible to drivers and will not be hidden, they won’t be signposted,” Macmillan said.

NZTA said it will not receive any incentives or funds from tickets issued. Safety camera infringement fees go into the Government Consolidated Fund.