Editorial: Vital role in reducing road toll

Deep down, I can't say that I like speed cameras.

When I'm driving and see a van on the side of the road, I automatically put my foot on the brakes slightly, whether I am doing under the speed limit or just a fraction over.

The reason for this habit is simple: I don't want to risk a speeding ticket.

So, given that, I was interested in the page one story on Thursday in which police revealed that new high-tech fixed speed cameras are likely to be rolled out in the Bay.

The new cameras will replace the old ones which use dated technology. Interestingly, the three fixed ones we have in the Bay - on Fraser St, Maunganui Rd and Te Puke's Jellicoe St - have been empty for the past year.

One of the region's top cops wants one of these new digital cameras in every suburb.

It remains to be seen whether Inspector Stu Nightingale gets his wish. What we don't know is what, if any, affect money and bureaucracy might have on his plan.

But I agree. We should have one in every suburb.

It is no secret that speed goes hand-in-hand with death, injury and cost on our roads.

In 2009 in New Zealand, speeding was a factor in 100 fatal crashes, 361 serious injury crashes and 1274 minor-injury crashes. These crashes killed 113 people, seriously injured 516 and left 1945 with minor injuries.

The total social cost? A whopping $810 million, not to mention the terrible toll it takes on the families and friends.

In the Bay, this cost was $93million in 2009. It is estimated by one city official that a fatal crash can have a total cost of more than $1 million.

But there have been huge strides made in reducing speed-related carnage on our roads.

The figure of 100 fatal crashes in 2009, the latest year such statistics are available, is much lower than it was in the early-1990s, when the figure was nudging towards twice that.

I don't believe it is a coincidence speed cameras were introduced in October 1993.

It remains a fact people will speed, and I'm not talking about doing 105km/h. I see them just about every day on the road blasting along way over the limit.

Sometimes these thoughtless people put my life and other people's lives at risk.

Mobile speed cameras in the Western Bay were responsible for tickets worth more than $800,000 in the 2010/11 financial year.

There are people who loathe speed cameras and have this conspiracy theory that the police are simply indulging in a revenue-gathering exercise. This is absurd.

Of course, they're gathering money, but this is a by-product of the main aim of penalising speedsters.

Speed is just one factor costing lives and money on our roads and the current Government should be commended for its tough stance on road safety this year.

It has already tightened the law around the driving age and drink-driving, and it has been reported there is a proposal that speedsters caught on camera also receive demerit points.

This is a good move.

It is important the Government keeps the pressure on and looks for ways to reduce the carnage.

More cameras in more places and demerit points must be part of this strategy.