Today is World Health day, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has for the first time chosen road safety as the theme.
WHO has identified excessive speed as the number one road safety problem worldwide, and has recommended the use of speed cameras as a means of reducing speed-related crashes.
Over Easter weekend, Police will introduce the new anywhere/anytime speed camera programme. Speed cameras will not be sign posted and may appear ‘anywhere, any time’.
The change to speed camera deployment is one of the new enforcement measures announced by the Government last year to help meet the Road Safety to 2010 goals of no more than 300 deaths and 4,500 hospitalisations a year by 2010.
"The changed speed camera deployment does not involve an increase in cameras but is intended is to get people to drive within the speed limit wherever they are travelling – not just in areas they know are speed camera zones," said Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, National Road Policing Manager.
"Excessive speed is the single biggest factor in fatal road crashes in New Zealand and contributes to more than 30% of deaths on our roads. Speed enforcement has been shown to be one of the most effective tools in preventing these crashes and ultimately saving lives."
The introduction of new programme has been preceded by an advertising campaign designed to ensure that the travelling public is well aware of the changes and understand the reasons for it.
Speed cameras will continue to be deployed in areas of road safety risk identified through community consultation.and those which have been shown to have high crash rates but they will not longer be sign posted.
They will still be targeted at areas of high road safety risk and will not be hidden or covert.
"Most drivers will not notice any difference," said Superintendent Fitzgerald. "It is only those who habitually speed who will need to change their behaviour and we hope they do. Easter is always a time of extremely high pressure on all our roads and those who speed increase the risks for everyone."
For further information contact:
Lesley Wallis - 04 4707111 – 027 2209752
Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald – 027 4435024
After Hours Media Pager – 021 -828210
ENDS