Speeding motorists have been put on notice they will be fined after 600 Auckland roads had speed limits reduced last month. Video / Will Trafford
Motorists speeding on Auckland's newly lowered-limit streets can expect to be pulled up by police and fined from now on.
A month after hundreds of roads across the region had limits drastically reduced, police have announced the end to the "educational" grace period, warning speedsters their time is up.
As part of Auckland Transport's Safe Speeds programme, 600 roads across Auckland's city centre and roads in Franklin and Rodney had limits lowered in a bid to reduce deaths and injuries from traffic accidents.
Many streets in Auckland's CBD had their speed limits slashed to 30km/h, while some of the busiest inner-city roads, including Nelson and Fanshawe Sts, were reduced to 40km/h. Streets shared with pedestrians went down to 10km/h.
Road policing managing acting Inspector Jason McIntosh said while police were generally happy with the compliance of motorists following the reduced speed limits but anyone speeding on these roads now risked enforcement action.
"Our aim is not to catch people out, it is to ensure safer roads and police do not plan to specifically target roads with reduced speed limits," said McIntosh.
"We will, however, deploy to these roads if people are driving in a manner which puts themselves and others at risk.
"We make no apologies for this approach," he said.
"Our aim is to reduce driving behaviour that puts lives at risk and prevent harm on our roads."
According to Land Transport Regulations, those who exceed speed limits face fines ranging from $30 to as much as $630.
At the lowest end, those travelling up to 9km/h above the speed limit will be fined $30.
Illustration / Rod Emmerson
Those caught driving between 10km/h and 14km/h above the speed limit would face an $80 fine and between 15km/h and 20km/h above the limit, a $120 fine.
Last year 40 people died on Auckland roads while 567 people were injured in crashes.
Tragically the Franklin area recorded the highest level of death and serious injury among all rural local boards in 2019.
According to Land Transport Regulations motorists travelling above the speed limit by not more than 10km/h will face a $30 fine.
If you are travelling between 10km/h and 14km/h above the limit you will face an $80 fine and between 15km/h and 20km/h above the limit, a $120 fine.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said reducing speeds on high-risk roads was part of how the council hope to reduce deaths and serious injuries and keep road users safe.
"While we all want to get from one place to another as quickly as possible, we also want to see the levels of deaths and serious injuries on the road reduced."
