You have to hand it to National, they are remarkably deceptive and far smarter than the average voter.
Simeon Brown is building a mass surveillance roading network and pretending it’s a road safety feature all because we hated lower speed limits and refuse to pay for physical safety infrastructure…
Our road safety agency is taking over speed and other traffic cameras with plans to massively increase the number of cameras on our highways and more than triple the number of tickets issued each year to 3 million.
NZTA Waka Kotahi is also planning to increase the number of cameras on our roads from the current 150 fixed and mobile cameras to around 800.
The plans are laid out in a Privacy Impact Assessment carried out by NZTA Waka Kotahiahead of the planned high-tech development of a national camera network. Other documents show an expectation the changes will save $1.5 billion and between 1563 and 2431 lives over 20 years.
Traffic cameras have traditionally been managed by police but the role is shifting to NZTA Waka Kotahi after being seen as a better fit with its role as the road safety agency.
…the yokels screamed when speed limits and physical infrastructure upgrades were enacted as a means to reduce our traffic road toll and National have fettered those reactionary voices against public upgrades to safety on our roading infrastructure while also enflaming culture war nonsense over Māori road signs.
This has led National to dumped the speed limits, physical upgrades and te Reo in favour of a Police State Mass Surveillance Network that once plugged into AI and face recognition technology will allow 3 million tickets per year (up from a million) as well as total real time spying on everyone…
The road safety agency’s high-tech solution included a plan to use artificial intelligence to carry out the checks needed to see if someone had broken the law, although it “acknowledges the need to strike a balance between efficiencies and maintaining the public’s trust and confidence in the system”.
“This will mean a balance between automation and maintaining viable human oversight.”
The expanded camera network would be accompanied by a public relations campaign “explaining the purpose and promoting the role of safety cameras” in a bid to win public support.
…the problem is increased fines won’t stop those who are dangerous drivers, only physical upgrades alongside everyone slowing down will reduce the road toll.
National cut costs on physical upgrades for a fine system that won’t stop the problems while increasing the speeds.
The solution being an AI face recognition real time mass surveillance network masquerading as public road safety.
Kiwis are dumb enough to allow this to go live.
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Absolutely disgusting. There are very few roads outside urban centres in New Zealand where you can’t safely drive at least 50 kph over the speed limits, which make no sense unless you’re driving a Morris Minor or a 50’s Foden tractor with an unloaded trailor behind.
…at least 50kph over the speed limit.
Hell no! That’s 150kph on roads with poor camber and numerous imperfections.
You are not right on this one Mo’. I used to roam around the North Island in the 70s and 80s in various Ford V8s–Galaxies, Fairlanes etc. when the population was just over 2 million people. Traffic was light, you could do 160kmh on Matamata or Foxton Straights and a lot did in their company cars particularly believe it or not.
But now the roads are crazy busy, crumbling, pot holed, 90kmh is all you want to do in the provinces apart from a handful of motorways and expressways. This camera plan is about just two things–surveillance, and a cash flow–part to the Govt. and the rest to the arseholes that develop the tech and store the data–guess who pays?
Plenty of good spots up and down SH1 of the North Island where you can do 180kph with full safety, and anything west of Tuhoe country is pretty good to go. Funny how the government cares less about the potholes there.
No one drives at 180kph in complete safety except for professionals on a track.
Really? Try the germans. They do 250 on what be the Waikato Speedway.
I cycle on rural roads and I do not feel a bit safe even when drivers are following the speed limits. I would also feel a lot safer if a certain contributer to this discussion had his driver’s licence revoked.
If the cyclists would just stay in their lane! They would be sweet. Petrol taxes have paid gazillions for the hardly used cycle lanes and drivers have the added expense of paying for parking because road side car parking has been switched to unused cycle lanes.
Imagine if all the dollars wasted on cycle lanes had been spent on making the roads safer for the vast majority of the population who drive vehicles (and that includes just about every cyclist).
Are you Stirling Moss reincarnated? I’ve seen the standards of driving in NZ.. You are advocating for a doubling, or tripling of the road toll..
That really does take a special kind of stupid…
cos we don’t have an appalling level of car crashes do we khan? how many dead are acceptable? nz numpties are a big part of the problem, muppets like you khan
of course this has nothing to do with safety it;s revenue gathering
“Safety” is the magic word, what we, the people allow in the name of safety is, well, your last sentence says t all.
The assumption being that ticketing itself has to do with road safety and not everything to do with revenue gathering…..?
Apparently speed kills Cagey.
Makes sense, why should the police be tied up in cameras and fine gathering, leave it to NZTA it’s their remit.
I think it’s smart, let’s see if Labour pledge to revert it back into NZ Police and do away with all the additional speed cameras…..doubt it, as it makes sense!….ohh wait, sorry it’s Labour, yes they will SAY they will (but never actually do)
No I’m Wrong, repealing things for the sake of it with no alternative is very much what this coalition does.
You are wrong I’m right. This was actually a part of the road to zero plan and as Nats hated that I will be surprised if Brown doesn’t repeal. But shows that he’s never even thought about the details. Just go for the rednecks and their votes.
Why do I think of Judith Collin’s vagina when I see the Eye of Mordor?
Moving on.
First. If you want to stay alive, keep well back ( 100 meters @ 100kph from the car in front. Is also the gap between power poles.) then when passing, go flat out and fuck semen brown. If you don’t want to pass, pull over and chill out until everyone behind you has passed. There’s no shame in it, only an expression of a higher level of intelligence.
Second. Make doing laps on a car race track under a specified time, depending on the track and car, mandatory for learner drivers. If you can’t speed around a race track like you’re in control and you know what you’re doing then you’re not ready to own and drive a car while passing other people going the other way at 100 kph with a couple of meters to spare.
Thirdly. Fuck semen brown. And can I just write; FUCK the natzo’s and their scruffy, inbred hangers on parties.
I mean FUCK winston peters, what a wanker and FUCK sleazy seymour. I bet he wears rogers used underwear. Eeeeeww.
damn you to hell. I’ll never be able to look at that shot of the eye without thinking of that maggots vag again.
You are one funny guy shock horror! But you shouldn’t have evoked that analogy. Mordor has come to mind as quite the accurate description of what this new evil government is doing.
The mind boggles CB…why indeed…
Strewth man…Judith’s vag is surely an off limits spot for all who aspire to being decent citizens…the Natzo version of a collapsed star…the blackest of holes…
What are you saying Countryboy, one could drive an Oravida truck through that eye.
To be fair Martyn, Brown couldn’t put two Lego blocks together let alone build anything, why? Because he’s National and well, they destroy things, it’s the only thing they do well!
National shut down community police stations, fuckwits!
The stations being closed are full of mold and vermin.
Perhaps the new cameras will be able to identify cell phone users and with a higher fine help road safety.
Correct Trevor but we already new it was revenue collecting.
I’m not talking about the stations having to be closed now, I’m talking what National did previously…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67840387/3-million-savings-from-closure-of-30-police-stations
When police needed investment, road safety included, National crumbled.
Judging by the photo and Simeons “local water” naming for water infrastructure, shall we call this project the ‘Simeon Brown Eye’? Seems appropriate for an a’hole
Waka Kotahi’s role as the primary instrument of state electronic surveillance of the populace was initiated under Michael Wood, who as well as being Minister of Transport in the Labour government was the New Zealand representative on the Five Country Ministerial intelligence gathering group. He also committed an incredible $1.4 billion to the Cubic Corporation mass surveillance system, aka “National Ticketing Solution”.
Ah right – tickety-boo then for Labour is it? Will National then revolt on this feckless left-wing imposition? Be different National, go for change on this, surprise everybody.
No, National won’t. National’s transport spokespeople Simeon Brown and Scott Simpson were astounded at the cost of the NTS, and were all set to oppose the scheme, until someone had a word in their ear to let them know that this was a Five Eyes initiative and therefore must be allowed to proceed regardless of cost.
You are wrong I’m right. This was actually a part of the road to zero plan and as Nats hated that I will be surprised if Brown doesn’t repeal. But shows that he’s never even thought about the details. Just go for the rednecks and their votes.
He’s always wrong Uncle Tom.
Developed under Labour, announced by department in December last year, not Simeon’s baby but I share the sentiment about over reach and surveillance.
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350132333/speed-cameras-quadruple-nationally-waka-kotahi-takes-over-operations
Let’s GPS track our politicians and get the cops wearing cameras before we further subjugate the working population.
Fuck off you boring cunt, this was implemented under Labour, coming into affect. How goes that vein in your forehead?
Three waters and Auckland Fuel tax were Labour things too but they repealed those within seconds. If he didn’t agree with this it would be gone.
Well Labour will NOT change it then…Labour has missed a trick, coming up with a decent policy when in opposition, good on National implementing it, you lefties can’t complain that much about it then??? It’s Labours policy lol
Oh dear how sad never mind.
Aww diddums for poor Ole salty tighty righty. Another great policy stolen by National. But then it’s always different when the other side does it.
Your language is basic and your thought lines sound more so. If you take the trouble to write them down FGS find something original and informative about the subject not just what clouds have crossed your mind.
Chloe will fix it.
If we are looking at speed limits, be consistent. Just as we need to slow down in appropriate areas its absolute bs to make people drive at a max of 100 on big wide three lane roads. It’s 110 max on the Hamilton bypass but the new road from Puhoi- ish to Warkworth is 100. No sense in that. In addition we should be actively tasering people on the motorway who sit at around 90 in the outside lane. What happened to keep left unless overtaking. As for people using their phones on the motorway ( not talking actually surfing/texting), fines are not high enough.
lol… the cops and transport people can’t even keep kids from closing off a state highway to do burnouts. The more you treat people like outlaws, the more they will act like one. The PTB will become increasingly ineffectual and basically out numbered and ignored.
The reality is that NZ has arguably the best roads in the world – after being around the world and driving extensively, this is easily my conclusion. Also our cars are in better condition that many other places around the world. The reduced speed limits only frustrate drivers, especially when the roads aren’t busy. Busy roads naturally slow down anyway. This is Nationals alternative to tolls and congestion charging, a revenue avenue for NZTA.
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