Senior police officer caught doing 149km/h

11.30am

A senior Northland police officer has been snapped driving at 149km/h while police wage a national campaign to slow down speeding drivers.

Northland road policing manager Inspector Rob Lindsay confirmed that the senior police officer was clocked at 149km/h by radar while travelling on State Highway 1 near Hukerenui, north of Whangarei.

The officer was apparently travelling to a meeting at the time in a mufti car on Thursday last week. His rank and station have not been released by police, but it is understood he is of, or above, senior sergeant rank.

"It's an unacceptable speed. There was no acceptable reason for him to be travelling that speed. He was on duty, but not being called to an emergency," Mr Lindsay said.

"We are very disappointed, and so is the officer."

Mr Lindsay said the officer had been issued with a $630 speeding ticket and 50 demerit points.

Demerit points are given for some traffic offences and all speeding infringements, except those recorded by a speed camera.

If drivers get a total of 100 or more demerit points within two years, they will be suspended from driving for three months.

"It's an indication to the public that the police are no different and the rules apply to everybody," Mr Lindsay said.

The officer's speed came within one kilometre an hour of an immediate 28-day licence suspension, which comes into force if motorists are caught driving at more than 50km/h over the designated speed limit.

Mr Lindsay said the officer had not been charged with dangerous speed.

The situation had been assessed by the officer who issued the ticket and in his opinion it was a matter of "straight-out speed". The ticket had not been issued immediately, but the officer's details had been taken, and the ticket issued later, which was not unusual, he said.

The incident came within the same week Mr Lindsay had proposed the speed limit on some stretches of Northland road should be reduced in light of Land Transport Safety Authority statistics. The LTSA report found loss of control on curves was Northland's major road safety issue, with speed a common factor.

Mr Lindsay said he was extremely disappointed with the officer's "error of judgment" given the police emphasis on the issue of speed -- especially as the recorded speed was so high.

"We all make mistakes, and he's not the only police officer to ever get a ticket," he said.

RoadSafe Northland co-ordinator Gillian Archer said given the huge road safety commitment of every member of the police force she dealt with, it seemed a huge lapse.

"Our guys up here are pretty committed to reducing road speeds and road trauma. It's an unfortunate incident," she said.

Police national road safety manager Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald said it would be inappropriate to comment while the incident was still in the judicial process.

"I guess the main message is, nobody is exempt -- the law applies to everyone."

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)