Highway Robbery by Police

From today's Herald.

"The 10 busiest speed camera sites in the country churned out almost 60,000 fines in the past financial year, but police say the number is falling as motorists heed the call to slow down.

National Party law and order spokesman Simon Power is calling for police to assure drivers speed cameras are being used on dangerous roads and not simply for revenue gathering.

The top 10 cameras were in mainly urban areas with high traffic volumes.

Mr Power said he would be seeking information on the crash rates at the locations and the amount of fines the cameras had generated.

"Speed cameras should be in accident black spots in order to encourage sensible driving practices in dangerous areas.

"Labour's reputation when it comes to ticketing has been on quantity, not quality. But we need to concentrate on quality by targeting the right areas if we are to bring the road toll down," he said."

Comment; Most accidents where speed is the main factor are on the open road. Most urban accidents occur at intersections. How does a speed camera make you pay more attention at an intersection?