Auckland speed trial: New point-to-point speed cameras being installed on six Auckland roads

The point-to-point cameras track average speed and are being set up on six rural Auckland roads. after being trialled on two city roads in Auckland.

New point-to-point cameras are being installed on six roads in Auckland to catch speeding motorists, and also give them a chance to slow down before being pinged.

Auckland Transport (AT) has been trialling six of the cameras since January and now teamed up with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to install them in enforcement mode on six rural roads from October.

Point-to-point cameras are commonly used overseas to determine the average speed between two points, and research shows they are more effective than single-location cameras.

Six rural roads with a high crash risk due to the road layout and current speeds have been chosen.

They are Matakana Rd in Warkworth, Kahikatea Flat Rd in Dairy Flat, East Cost Rd in Redvale, Whitford Rd in Shamrock Park, and Glenbrook Rd in Karaka and Glenbrook.

The AT trial found speeds of up to nearly three times the 40km/h speed limit on Nelson St leading into the central city and the 50km/h speed limit on Upper Harbour Drive.

The new cameras are another piece of the road safety puzzle, says AT's Stacey van der Putten. Photo / 123rf

Motorists have been clocked driving anywhere from 45km/h to 110km/h and were issued warnings during the trial.

Waka Kotahi regulatory strategic programmes head Tara Macmillan said the new cameras will be clearly sign-posted and allow drivers to check their speed and slow down if needed.

“When operating in average speed mode, drivers are only ticketed if their average travel speed over the entire distance between the two cameras is over the limit - they can’t be ‘pinged’ by a single camera,” Macmillan said.

The distance between the cameras will vary between 3km and 6km.

AT’s public transport general manager Stacey van der Putten said the cameras will play an important part in encouraging safe travel speeds and safer driver behaviour.

“Ultimately, it’s another piece of the road safety puzzle coming together that can help us reduce the number of people being killed and seriously injured on Auckland roads,” van der Putten said.

Installation will begin on Matakana Rd this month, with testing beginning in December. The cameras will operate in test mode for approximately three months, before being switched to enforcement mode in mid-2024.

The use of point-to-point speed cameras in New Zealand has been enabled by the recent passing of the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Act.