Speedster clocked at 200km/h

The country's highest recorded speed in the past financial year was 200km/h. Three other drivers were pinged by police doing more than 190km/h. Photo / File

A driver caught doing 200km/h has the dubious honour of being ticketed for the country's highest recorded speed in the past year.

Figures released to APNZ by national police headquarters show that nationwide, more than 900,000 speeding tickets were issued in the past financial year, amounting to more than $80 million in fines.

Ticket numbers have remained steady during the past two years, but revenue from speed fines fell by more than $3 million - from $83,619,720 in 2010/11 to $80,155,710 in 2011/12.

The dollar figures do not include fines for speedsters caught driving at more than 50km/h over the limit, as those penalties are imposed by the courts.

Acting Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter of the Western Bay of Plenty road police said drivers aged between 18 and 24 were the worst offenders.

The country's highest recorded speed in the past financial year was 200km/h. Three other drivers were pinged by police doing more than 190km/h.

National road policing manager Superintendent Carey Griffiths said that in the 2011/12 financial year, police dedicated $51 million to speed enforcement in a bid to prevent crashes and save lives.

During that time, New Zealand's speed camera system received a major overhaul.

Mr Griffiths said all speed cameras were now digital which had reduced the infringement processing period and meant cameras could now operate longer as they did not run out of film.

After spiking at 100 in 2009/10, fatal speed-related crashes dropped to 91 the following year, then to 66 in 2011/12.

Overall, the total number of fatal and serious injury speed-related crashes fell by 16 per cent during the three years - from 447 to 374.

Mr Griffiths said hundreds of police staff worked towards enforcing speed safety on our roads.

"All police districts conduct regular speed campaigns."