26,073 Northland speeding tickets in one year

Police are making no apologies for issuing more than 26,000 speed camera tickets in Northland during the past financial year - saying if people object to paying the fines, they shouldn't speed.

Figures released to the Northern Advocate under the Official Information Act show that 671,043 speed camera tickets were issued nationally in the 12 months to the end of June, including 26,073 in Northland.

And one site - State Highway 1, between Spains Rd and Awanui River Bridge, Awanui - is responsible for more than 10 per cent of all the tickets issued in Northland, with 2730 speedsters snapped passing a camera in the 50km/h zone.

Northland road policing Senior Sergeant Steve Dickson said police made no apologies to people who contended speed cameras were merely revenue gathering rather than for road safety.

Mr Dickson said speed cameras were part of a multi-suite approach to road safety and were definitely working to reduce speeds and make roads safer.

"Speed cameras are just one of the tools we use to reduce excess speed. [Speed camera] sites are put through an application process involving the New Zealand Transport Agency, police, local councils and others, and are chosen because they are recognised as risk areas for crashes," Mr Dickson said.

"We are aiming to lower the road toll and serious injuries from crashes and speed cameras are helping."

He cited Northland's record low road toll last year of just seven, and a reducing national road toll, as evidence speed cameras were helping.

"If people don't want to get a speed camera ticket it's very simple, don't speed," Mr Dickson said.

"When we get speed cameras issuing no tickets at all we will be happy, it will mean we have done our job."

Northland has three unmarked speed camera vans but Mr Dickson said one of those would soon be replaced by a marked speed camera van. The 26,073 speed camera tickets issued in Northland were for fines totalling $2,093,970, out of a national fines total of $49,172,330.