The trial period for the weather-activated speed signs on State Highway 29, over the Kaimai Range, has come to an end.
From today, people travelling more than the posted speed limit in the area can expect to be at least stopped or even ticketed.
People caught doing more than the posted speed on State Highway 29, over the Kaimai Range, will be stopped and could get a ticket.
There are 22 signs over a 12km stretch, with three VMS (changeable) signs – two on the eastern side and one of the western.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing highway patrols Sergeant Trinity Milham says there are also four cameras monitored by ATOC, along with a MetService weather station and a visibility sensor.
'The signs are activated based on whether there is rain, ice, wind or poor visibility. An alarm will go off and then ATOC will check the cameras to see if the signs need to be activated.”
A trial for the sign system was carried out last month.
Trinity says last month was more of an educational time to allow drivers a chance to get used to the new system.
'The weather activated speed signs go live from today. From December through to January, we will also be enforcing the 4km/h speed tolerance, which we do every year.”
This means people caught doing more than 4km/h over the posted speed limit can face a fine. The amount of the fine depends on how much over the posted speed limit the driver is doing.
Trinity says this is all to try and keep people safe on the highways as 41 of the 50 crashes recorded over the summer period, December 1, 2014, to January 31, 2015, were on the open road.
'That means two thirds of our crashes were on state highways.”
If the signs are activated, the speed limit will be 80km/h on the Tauranga side and 60km/h on the Matamata side of the Kaimai Range.
6 comments
Bad driving
Posted on 01-12-2015 13:29 | By Kenworthlogger
Why are the police not doing people for bad driving? One just needs to look at all the holes in the fencing on the Waikato side to see the evidence. Whole sections have been mowed down by bad drivers.
Please explain
Posted on 01-12-2015 15:37 | By Annalist
People who clock up a ridiculous number of fines seem to be let off, whilst the occasional offender gets the full force of the law. Could we get an explanation for this?
Speed Limits
Posted on 01-12-2015 16:48 | By R1Squid
It is nice to see that these new VMS signs are having no effect at all (except for the law abiding). I was almost overtaken by a cyclist while I was observing the Kaimai 60Km posted speed limit on Saturday afternoon. There was no policing presence at all. Idle threats are meaningless.
Think again
Posted on 01-12-2015 17:41 | By fletch
Having just come over the Kaimais today and saw the road signs in action. My question is when do you get back to normal speeds. By the way it was sunny and dry and said 80k.
Try This
Posted on 01-12-2015 18:46 | By Capt_Kaveman
Stop giving out easy licenses and foreigners who cant drive
And today's excuse?
Posted on 01-12-2015 23:25 | By tibs
Fletch says it was dry and they were in operation. I had a similar experience last month where there was a wet patch of road but the sped limits were in action on both sides of the range. Kenworthlogger is dead right. They do next to nothing about the standard of driving and are intent on making decisions for people with the ever present threat of extracting revenue from the public. Also, they continue to feed us jargon. What is ATOC? Who are ATOC? Are they able to be contacted in the event of the speedlimits being needlessly reduced? Also the "long distance" warning sign at the Thames turnoff can warn of the Kaimai road being closed but by the time you get there it's open.
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