More drivers are slowing down and complying with the speed limits in 2012, according to the latest survey from the Ministry of Transport.

The national percentage of car drivers choosing to travel over the speed limit on the open road reduced from 31 per cent in 2011, to 25 per cent in 2012. It also reduced from 59 per cent to 53 per cent respectively on urban roads.

Sergeant Lester Polglase reads drivers' speeds.

Survey results show there was also a reduction for heavy vehicles down from 44 per cent in 2011 to 39 per cent in 2012 on the open road and 47 per cent to 34 per cent on urban roads.

Tauranga MP and Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges says according to research on the open road for every 1km/h reduction in mean speed the number of road deaths reduces by about 4 per cent.

'There are some complications in drawing strong conclusions about what the regional figures mean because they don't separate out Tauranga drivers from the rest of the Bay of Plenty. That's quite a wide region.

'The survey isn't set up to make valid comparisons between regions - it's more designed to show what's happening within a region over time. So that's a bit different.”

Simon says nationally New Zealand is recording the lowest speed limits.

'That's very encouraging because it shows police and Government strategies are, on the whole, working. Fewer people are speeding and ultimately that means less people are getting hurt and dying.”

'The message is clear, some of us need to slow down more.”