Average speed camera construction on Kaitāia-Awaroa Road
Far North District Council is working with New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to keep communities safe and encourage people to make safe driving choices.
As part of this, four average speed safety cameras will be installed on an approximately 11km stretch of Kaitāia-Awaroa Road. These cameras are part of a national NZTA programme.
A speed survey conducted by NZTA in May 2024 found the average speed across the entire road to be 89km/h, including in the 60km/h zone, with around 75 per cent of vehicles speeding.
The cameras will be installed at the Ahipara end near Sandhills Road and near the 80km/h speed limit sign at the Kaitāia end. Together, they will cover the 80km/h and 60km/h speed limits within that stretch of road.
Between 2018 and 2023, two people were killed and another 13 were seriously injured in crashes on this stretch of road. NZTA ran a speed survey on this stretch of road in May 2024. It showed that around 75 per cent of drivers were speeding with an average speed across the full length of road being 89km/h, including through the 60km/h area.
The risk of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes on Kaitāia-Awaroa Road is high due to traffic volumes and driver behaviour. That risk can be significantly reduced if more people drive to the speed limit. Safety cameras will help to reduce speeding and the number of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes on this stretch of road.
Average speed cameras work by calculating a vehicle’s speed along the length of road between cameras. They measure the time the vehicle takes to travel between the cameras and calculate the average speed (distance divided by time).
These cameras are more effective at reducing deaths and serious injuries than traditional speed cameras and it is estimated they will reduce deaths and serious injuries by around 48 per cent.
Image: Example of a safety camera, foundations and barrier.
Before enforcement begins “Average speed camera area” signs will be installed warning drivers they have been installed. These are designed to give drivers a reminder to check their speed and slow down if needed.
The outer cameras will be installed near Sandhills Road in Ahipara at one end and the 80km/h speed limit sign at the Kaitāia end.
This stretch of road has both 80km/h and 60km/h speed limits.
The cameras will measure average speeds across all three speed limit stretches. So, a driver traveling 80km/h on an 80km/h stretch won’t receive a ticket. They will receive a ticket if they continue to drive 80km/h through the 60km/h zone.
More information about existing average speed cameras can be found on the NZTA website here.