Mobile speed camera operators must follow a strict rulebook that bans them from dozens of common roadside locations, newly released documents show.
The material, released by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) under the Official Information Act, details the criteria operators must meet before deploying a camera SUV or trailer.
NZTA took over the operation of mobile safety cameras from police in 2025, with SUVs deployed in May and trailer units in September.
Operators cannot simply pull over anywhere. Before a location is approved, it must pass a series of safety and visibility checks — including reconnaissance via Google Street View.
The camera vehicle or trailer must be legally parked, clearly visible from the road, and positioned so the operator could safely set up and leave the vehicle without stepping into live traffic.
Driveways, footpaths, cycle lanes, and live traffic lanes must all remain unobstructed.
There are also exclusion zones to consider. Cameras cannot be deployed within 250 metres of the end of a passing lane, or where the speed limit decreases. Road shoulders and time-limited parking areas require prior clearance from the relevant road controlling authority.
When trailers are used, the rules go a step further — surrounding vehicles must be prevented from parking behind the trailer for at least 13 metres on-road, and even further in off-road settings.
On private property
Mobile cameras can operate on private property, such as car parks or driveways, but only with the landowner's explicit permission — and that consent must be formally recorded as part of the site approval process.
NZTA head of driving regulation Chris Rodley said mobile safety cameras reduce deaths and serious injuries because they discourage speeding everywhere.
"We call this ‘general deterrence’ and that’s why we deploy them nationwide ‘anytime, anywhere'," he said.
Deployment locations are drawn from two sources: data identifying high-risk sites, and nominations from communities and road safety partners.
Rodley said this combination gives the programme the flexibility to respond to emerging risks that might not yet show up in crash data.
"For example, where speeding is more or less of an issue at certain times of the day or year, or where there is an emerging risk, not yet appearing in historical data."
NZTA does not receive any incentives or funds from tickets issued, with safety camera infringement fees going into the Government Consolidated Fund, the government's main bank account.
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