Speed Cameras Hit Kiwis Harder Than Brits

ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks today accused Labour of treating Kiwi motorists as cash cows, and revealed that New Zealand motorists are five times more likely than their British counterparts to receive speed camera tickets.

"Latest figures show that, last year, British authorities issued 1.2 million speed camera tickets - in a nation of 60 million people. In New Zealand, more than 400,000 camera tickets were issued in a nation of just four million," Mr Franks said.

"Kiwis now face one of the world's highest risk of receiving speed camera tickets. The number of tickets issued equates to around 20 percent of the number of motorists - mostly ordinary motorists travelling 10-20km/h over the posted speed limit - being ticketed. And this doesn't count our 200,000 manually issued tickets.

"This is a rort. Under Labour, traffic infringement revenue has doubled. The move to camera vans and, now, removing the limits on camera sites will likely see the revenue increase again this year. Labour is fleecing the ordinary Kiwi motorist.

"Labour is too politically correct to target groups they know to cause most of the misery on our roads - the repeat offenders who get the bulk fines wiped, and the criminals who scoff at our laws because punishment is so limp and easily avoided.

"We know from the grim statistics this year that hounding the ordinary motorist does not reduce the road toll. And it is ordinary motorists, who only marginally exceed speed limits, that make up the bulk of those being fined.

"All Labour is succeeding in doing is diverting scarce police resources from fighting crime and more serious traffic offences, while treating ordinary motorists as revenue generators," Mr Franks said.

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