Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has completed the transfer of safety camera operations from NZ Police.
After a 12-month period of transition, as of today (1 July 2025) NZTA is solely responsible for the operation of the safety camera network of around 150 cameras formerly operated by Police. This is planned to expand to around 200 cameras by 2027, including fixed speed cameras, mobile speed cameras, red light cameras and average (point to point) speed cameras.
Details on the current safety camera network, including the locations of fixed cameras, can be found on the NZTA website.
NZTA Head of Regulatory Strategic Programmes Tara Macmillan says the transfer of safety cameras from NZ Police to NZTA will strengthen the road safety partnership between the two agencies, improve the effectiveness of safety cameras as an enforcement tool, and make New Zealand’s roads safer for everyone.
“Managing roadside infrastructure like cameras is what NZTA does every day. Having responsibility for safety cameras allows us to use them where and when they will be most effective in reducing crashes, preventing serious injuries and saving lives,” says Ms Macmillan.
“We’ve now rolled out signs at all fixed speed camera sites, giving drivers a fair warning to check their speed and slow down if needed.
“These fixed cameras are installed at high-risk locations for crashes. Reminding drivers of that gives them the opportunity to slow down to protect themselves and others from, at worst injury or death, and at minimum, to avoid a ticket.”
Ms Macmillan says the effectiveness of this approach in reducing speeds can be seen through data collected by NZTA at new speed camera sites collected before and after cameras and signs were installed.
Safety cameras change driver behaviour
“The percentage of drivers travelling at or below the maximum speed limit at our new camera site on Mill Road in Pukekohe has increased from just 39 percent before the camera was installed to 99 percent after. Similarly, at our new camera site on SH1 at Kawakawa, compliance with the speed limit has increased from just 34 percent before the camera was installed to 94 percent after.
“Across the ten new camera sites where we are currently tracking before and after data, the average compliance rate with speed limits has increased from 57 percent to 98 percent.
“Fewer speeding vehicles at these high-risk sites make these roads safer for everyone who uses them. No matter what the cause of a crash, speed can be the difference between someone being killed, receiving a life changing injury or walking away unharmed.”
As part of the transfer of cameras from Police, NZTA is also now operating mobile speed cameras in SUVs, alongside Police officers being highly visible on our roads. Both mobile cameras and officer enforcement deter speeding by operating anytime and anywhere.
In addition to fixed and mobile speed cameras, NZTA is also planning the rollout of new average speed safety cameras along high-risk corridors and roads. This technology is internationally proven to be very effective at reducing deaths and serious injuries on longer sections of road. The cameras work by calculating a vehicle’s average speed over a length of road between two cameras.
Ms Macmillan says NZTA’s focus is on improving road safety, reducing crashes, preventing serious injuries and saving lives.
“Speeding drivers can cause serious and irreparable harm on the roads, including deaths and serious injuries. Evidence shows that we can reduce the chance of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes if drivers travel within speed limits, and that is why we have safety cameras.”
