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National | Māori

Northland motorists riling over speed camera

Disgruntled Northland motorists are claiming that a speed camera installed outside of Whangārei is just there to gather revenue for police coffers.

In the first six months of this year, over $2.6mil in fines has been issued, the highest figure in the country.

The single fixed speed camera is riling motorists.

One motorist says it’s "bloody ridiculous- they always were money raisers.”

The camera was erected 6 months ago in an 80km area, on the other side of a rise.

There is a Reduce Speed sign some 200m before it, but motorists say it’s not enough warning.

Another motorist says he’s been caught three times in one week by the speed camera.

The area was a "high risk crash zone", with 40 crashes involving excess speed between 2008 and 2012.

Northland police say it’s one of several changes- including a layout change to reduce those stats.

“In conjunction with the changes to the layout in the road, and the reduction in the speed limit from 100 to 80, that speed camera and those changes have helped to reduce the trauma to Northlanders because of crashes in that area,” says Northland Road Policing Senior Sergeant, Ian Rowe.

“We all are trying to look at our speed but when you've got cameras like that it's quite difficult not to get stung,” says another motorist.

Rowe says the number and severity of crashes is reducing and concerned motorists should keep to the speed limit.