Cameras all along Bay killer highways

A Killer stretch of state highway in the Bay has now become one continuous unmarked speed camera zone in a move that will see the number of camera sites in the region double.
Speeding motorists face a greater chance of being snapped as a result, as officials have now increased the number of speed camera sites in the Bay of Plenty from 47 to 100.
A major review of where speed cameras are placed in the area has seen the 63km stretch of SH29 and SH2 between the Kaimai Range and Paengaroa divided into five-kilometre sections.
Each section has been designated a camera zone, which will enable police to target segments of the road as soon as any problems develop.
Until now, speed cameras have only been used on two separate 5km stretches along the highways.
Speed camera vans are expected to begin operating in the new zones in a few weeks.
Bay of Plenty's road policing manager, Inspector Kevin Taylor, said the rationale for the move was that 80 per cent of fatal accidents and trauma happened on those state highways in the Bay of Plenty.
"We will use the camera vans in exactly the same way highway patrol units are and target high risk areas of road," Mr Taylor said.
Land Transport New Zealand records show that 22 fatal crashes occurred on that stretch of State highway, killing 29 people between 2000 and 2004.
In 59 serious crashes, a total of 93 people have been seriously injured, and on the same road, another 598 non-injury accidents have been reported.
"The camera van regime is an effective tool in reducing road trauma," Mr Taylor said.
Despite the creation of the new zones in the Bay, there would be no increase in the number of vans or actual speed camera staff on the road.
There were currently three vans patrolling the Bay of Plenty.
Mr Taylor said SH2 ranked as one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the region, as did SH29.
"This will enable us to target risk areas more accurately."
Other major roads to be divided into a continuous string of five kilometre camera zones are SH1 from Tirau to south of Turangi and SH5 from Tirau through Rotorua and down to Taupo.
In April last year, signs alerting motorists to the existence of mobile and fixed speed camera zones were removed around the country as part of an "anywhere any time" campaign which aimed to slash the carnage on our roads.
The plan to introduce more unmarked zones, as has occurred in the Bay, is designed to help meet the Government's road safety goal of no more than 300 deaths and 4500 hospital admissions from road crashes a year by 2010.
Police National Infringement Bureau records show there were 5902 speed camera tickets issued in the Western Bay between April last year and March 2005.
September proved to be an expensive month for 928 drivers who were caught speeding.
In July, 466 tickets were issued, 673 in November and 595 in December, while in January this year, 878 motorists were snapped.
National operations manager of road policing, Inspector John Kelly, said speed camera opponents who claimed it was just police revenue gathering exercise were incorrect.
"People don't realise how bad the trauma is unless they have personally been involved. Those who have can, see the wider picture and how our work can prevent road trauma."
For a majority of law-abiding motorists, the increased number of roads under the watchful eye of cameras would make little difference but for the minority, the answer lies in their right foot, Mr Kelly said. "All they have to do is ease off the accelerator." Police consulted groups, including the Land Transport Safety Authority and the Automobile Association.
Complaints by members of the public about stretches of roads were also taken into consideration. Transit figures show up to 20,000 vehicles can travel along SH29 and SH2 at peak times each day.