– Conrad – 14/8/97
The New Zealand Police have recently trialled the use of hidden speed cameras. Up until now all speed cameras have been in designated and sign-posted areas only, enabling speedsters to slow down and then speed up again as necessary. New Zealand motorists have become extremely fast in their braking reaction times especially in response to the sight of a white station wagon with its boot raised.
However the move to hidden cameras is viewed by many as a threat to the individual’s freedom to read the road conditions and travel at what they feel is the most appropriate speed, and cynics regard it as no more than a revenue gathering exercise for a cash strapped Police Force.
The Police claim that the cameras are very effective in cutting motorists’ speeds and reducing the road toll.
While it is true that many people are being caught (and are contributing millions of dollars to the Police Christmas Party Fund), it seems a bit of a stretch to deduce from this that people are slowing down in general, especially given that the road toll so far in 1997 is higher than for the same period in 1996.
It may be fair to predict that not knowing when or where they will be caught for speeding may make motorists take more care with their speed. However there is no real way to measure the effectiveness of this apart from by the amount of money raised in fines, and judging by the number of people caught out in the trial the Police Force might be soon be able to afford new officers to work on such low priority crimes as burglaries.
