Fixed speeding cameras recorded 654,221 offences worth $55.2m in 2019. Photo / File

New Zealand's $5m speeding camera revealed

Author: Michael Neilson, NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2020, 5:56PM

A busy Auckland street saw motorists pinged over $5 million in fines last year thanks to a speed camera that has proven the country's new highest earner.

The fixed speed camera, placed on Tāmaki Dr between Solent St and Ngapipi Rd, pulled in $5.3m in 2019 from 60,141 fines.

This was a substantial increase from 2018, when the camera dished out 36,253 fines bringing in $3.2m, however the camera was out of action for several months.

Two other fixed speed cameras in the Auckland region rounded out the top three, with one on State Highway 1 in Waiwhiu - just north of Warkworth - recording 47,287 offences worth $4.m, and another on Hillsborough Rd catching 45,155 motorists worth $3.8m.

These three cameras made up nearly a quarter of the $55.2m from 654,221 fines from fixed speeding cameras in 2019 across the entire country.

This was up slightly on 2018 when $54.8m for 611,712 offences was issued.

The highest ticketing camera in 2018 was Rata St in New Lynn, racking up $4.3m from 48,149 offences recorded, but in 2019 this dropped to 35,399 offences and $2.9m.

The top camera in Waikato was on State Highway 2 between Seddon St and Old Waitekauri St, which issued 38,151 tickets worth $3.3m, fourth place overall.

In Wellington it was a camera on State Highway1 between Glover St and Newlands Rd overbridge, which recorded 29,375 speeding motorists worth $2.6m, in sixth place overall.

And the top South Island earner was in Canterbury, on State Highway 1 between Hopkinson Rd and Huirapa Rd. That camera recorded 20,902 offences, worth $1.8m, rounding out the top 10 fixed speeding cameras.

In 2019, 353 people died on New Zealand roads, down from 377 in 2018.

It marked a significant drop in deaths, but still made it the fourth deadliest year this decade.

‌New Zealand's top 5 fixed speeding cameras