First trailer equipped with speed camera in action soon

Trailers equipped with speed cameras start operating on New Zealand’s roadsides from tomorrow.

And the first trailer will start snapping in Auckland, according to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

Nine more trailers are set to join the fleet in the upcoming months.

There are already 34 mobile cameras operating out of SUVs, 1News reports. They have been on the job since May.

In total, mobile cameras will operate for a total of 6500 hours a month.

Tara Macmillan, NZTA head of regulatory strategic programmes, said: “The camera technology in trailers is the same as we’re using in our SUVs. Having both vehicle types gives us more flexibility to move cameras between high-risk locations quickly and easily. That ensures that we are targeting stretches of road where speeding drivers are putting themselves and others at risk”.

Macmillan said the trailers would allow NZTA to have its cameras out for longer stretches of time and in hard-to-access places.

“Both our trailers and SUVs will be working day and night, detecting speeding wherever and whenever it occurs.

“Speeding drivers can cause serious and irreparable harm on the roads. Evidence shows that we can reduce the chances of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes if drivers travel within the speed limits.

“That is why we have safety cameras.”

The trailers, like the SUVs, won’t be sign posted. They can detect speeding vehicles on either side of the road. Moreover, they can detect speeding vehicles that are travelling towards and away from them.

NZTA has sole responsibility for operating speed cameras but police will still be able to issue notices for any offences they detect.

Both SUVs and trailers have security and tracking systems and are equipped with CCTV cameras and alarms. They are monitored full time.