A campaign by traffic and road safety champions to bring red light cameras to Tauranga has failed, apparently because the city doesn't meet the criteria for a red light camera.
According to the NZ Police website, there are currently seven red light cameras in Auckland and one in Wellington.
But the Bay of Plenty Joint Road Safety Committee red light steering group's application failed, possibly because the city doesn't meet the criteria.
Learning what the criteria are is a slow process. NZTA in Wellington did not reply before this story was published in The Weekend Sun.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion is not entirely sure of the reasons and didn't want to speculate.
Committee chair, Western Bay of Plenty district councillor Margaret Murray-Benge says the issue is not over. Police reported in February that the death and accident rates in the region are the worst they have been in ten years.
'The driving performance in our region isn't good at all, and we have to do something. So our job in road safety is to actually be the political push to make sure that things are introduced.
'Harry Wilson who is in charge of road safety for New Zealand for the transport agency is coming to our next meeting and it will be on our agenda to discuss that with him as well.
'Nothing is ever a dead duck.”
In New Zealand between 2008 and 2012 there were 11 fatalities, 169 serious injuries and 1466 minor injuries at urban intersections controlled by traffic lights, where running a red light was a contributing factor. The average annual social cost of these crashes was $43 million.
A 2009 review by the Ministry of Transport concluded that red light cameras are an effective safety tool to reduce red light running and associated crashes. A trial run by Auckland Transport between 2008-2010 supported the review.
Intersections with red light cameras experienced an average reduction of 43 percent in red light running and 69 percent in crashes attributable to red light running.
From there Auckland Transport contracted Abley Transport Consultants to prepare a red light camera site selection methodology to ensure red light cameras are only implemented when they are likely to be the best safety tool to enable the best safety outcome.
The methodology is based on the identification of sites where there is an established crash record arising from red light running behaviour or if there is a significant risk of fatal or serious casualties.
9 comments
Part 2
Posted on 03-06-2017 08:01 | By Capt_Kaveman
this photo is a prime eg for how the lights are not set correctly, these are not red light runners but TCC lack of intelligence and understanding of letting people what is an acceptable time and not cut short peoples expected time phase, i have dealt with martin a few times and he has a very closed mind and does not understand WAKE UP Martin
why not
Posted on 03-06-2017 08:04 | By hapukafin
I travel through chapel st,elizabeth st,sulpher pt ,hewletts rd lights regularly .I would say 25% of the time either I or someone else has to pause for a red light runner
what a joke.
Posted on 03-06-2017 08:27 | By Tga39
How does the city not meet the criteria!! We have traffic light and we have an amazing amount of people who run them,you only need to spend a small amount of time of hewletts road during the day to see that. Red light running leads to rubbish driving in other areas because of you can get away with a red light run what else can you get away with!! And now with this news it will be even worse. Just make sure you are not speeding through the red light and you will get off scott free!!
More broken promises
Posted on 03-06-2017 12:18 | By rastus
This is just another typical example of 'logic less' governance - If one red light camera saves one life then logic would say it was right and proper to instal the camera. I cannot believe that these cameras would not also be a good source of income from fines at least until the law breakers had learned their lesson and then of course there would be the ongoing savings from a reduction in serious accidents. Just like so many other aspects of our governance logic seems to take a holiday. Drink driving is seriously policed yet red light running only becomes an issue when there is a collision resulting - good luck to the safe drivers who manage to avoid these awful,arrogant and ignorant people.
Tga 39
Posted on 03-06-2017 12:31 | By hapukafin
Yeh I would have thought that if there is one red light runner its a criteria,Hewletts/Totara is one of the worse.I have witnessed two red light runners in the one cycle,i.e. 50%. and happens all the time there as does Chapel St.The job can only be done by standing on the street corner not from the office desk
Capt-Kaverman , you are not worthy!
Posted on 03-06-2017 13:26 | By CC8
You need to adopt a different qualification, (make it really obscure) so that the automatons who only believe that someone with letters after their name are qualified to observe and make suggestions . Those same automatons are employed by other automatons with self pronounced qualifications , who also only believe that automatons with letters etc etc are qualified to be employed. They are the one who have ruined this country by allowing educators to offer degrees in any trivial subject and declaring that anyone who does not have said degree is unemployable except at minimum wage. Practical real world skills and knowledge do not allow local government automatons to cover their own ass. BTW He is as awake as he will ever be.
s pruitt
Posted on 03-06-2017 18:50 | By outback
Some of the lights around this village change to quickly struggle to get truck an trailer through
Kiwis
Posted on 03-06-2017 20:05 | By maildrop
Worst drivers in the world. Taking risks is in the DNA. Even the cops and politicians accept it. Road toll says it all. Nuff said.
11th Ave
Posted on 07-06-2017 09:30 | By Lvdw
Try getting through Fraser and 11th at peak times with everyone skipping the lights there and sitting in the intersection when they know full well they will not get through. All major intersections should have red light cameras. I say fine them for disobeying the law - isnt that what laws are there for?
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