Summarised by Centrist
Police are handing over the job of running traffic cameras to road safety agency, NZTA Waka Kotahi. The agency aims to dramatically increase the number of speed cameras on highways from 150 to around 800, with plans to issue over 3 million tickets annually.
The NZ Herald is reporting that documents reveal expectations of saving $1.5 billion and preventing between roughly 1560 to 2430 deaths over two decades. (Editor’s note: Centrist is always dubious about these sorts of projected benefits and savings, which may be politicised and are based on guesswork.)
The initiative, part of the “Road to Zero” program, utilises advanced technology to automatically issue fines. However, NZ Civil Liberties chairman Thomas Beagle is concerned about law enforcement’s use of artificial intelligence and its effect on the justice system.
The Herald reports that road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson is concerned about revenue generation versus genuine road safety impact, arguing the focus should target high-risk behaviours and not average drivers.
When it comes to the highest-risk offenders, automated systems sending out tickets were “useless”, he says.
