Red-light runners at the intersection of The Strand in 2014. Photo / Dean Purcell
Red-light runners at the intersection of The Strand in 2014. Photo / Dean Purcell
Auckland motorists are now twice as likely to be pinged by a red-light safety camera after a new agreement ensures 12 cameras are operating instead of six.
Mayor Phil Goff and Councillor Chris Darby first raised concerns after discovering only six of the 12 cameras were operational at any one time.
The cameras were first trialled in Auckland between 2008 and 2010, resulting in a 43 per cent reduction in red-light running.
There was also an average of 63 per cent decrease in crashes attributable to red light running - something AT hopes to reinforce.
AT chief executive Shane Ellison said the new agreement will improve road safety and reduce death and serious injuries on Auckland roads.
"We are bringing forward our red light safety camera programme delivery to make our highest risk intersections safer," he said.
"We intend to have 42 cameras in total installed in the next five years, instead of 10 years as originally proposed.
"They are an effective tool to improve road safety at intersections and we are committed to working closely with NZ Police on delivering this programme."
Mayor Phil Goff is pleased an agreement has been found. Photo / Supplied
In the past four years, deaths and serious injuries sustained on Auckland roads have skyrocketed by 78 per cent - three times the national average.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the new agreement will be a real deterrent to those running red lights and placing others in danger.
He said within five years the number of cameras in Auckland will increase to 42, helping change the culture of running red lights in the city.
"Red-light running results in innocent people being smashed into, maimed and killed. It is irresponsible and illegal," Goff said.
"Red-light cameras are proven to reduce crashes and save lives. Having all cameras operating in hotspots around Auckland is a big deterrent."
Red-light cameras are owned and installed by AT, meanwhile, police have the responsibility for enforcement.
National manager for road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said police and AT have been working hard to come together and find level ground.
"We are happy to support AT in this road-safety venture," Greally said.
"It will not only enforce risky driving behaviour but also act as a deterrent so people will stop gambling with their lives, and everybody else's, on the road.
"As police, we see first-hand the horrific outcomes of people running red lights. Why someone would take that risk just to save a bit of time is beyond me."
