The number of speeding tickets issued on Tasman's Moutere Highway has skyrocketed by more than 1700%.
By Max Frethey of Local Democracy Reporting
The high-risk rural road is one of several that had its speed limit lowered by the Tasman District Council last year, following a comprehensive review of local speed limits.
Most of the road had been 100km/h, but it was dropped to 80km/h in August 2025.
From September 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025, police recorded 47 speeding infringements on the Moutere Highway.
In that same six-month period a year later, after the speed limit had been lowered, 848 speed infringements were recorded – an increase of 1704%.
The total face value of the fines issued also leapt from $4480 to $72,590.
Long-time Upper Moutere resident Hadyn Ellis said the increase is "unbelievable" and shows that people were not happy with the lower speed limit.
Ellis had previously started a petition to increase the speed limit on the route to 90km/h – a "compromise" between those who want the road at 80km/h and those who want 100km/h.
"[The increase in tickets] says to me that the 90, what we’re proposing, would be a more fair and realistic speed, because people feel as though they’re being held up."
Since Ellis' petition was reported on in early March, the number of verified signatures on Change.org has climbed from 200 to over 1800.
He was not sure how many signatories were from out of the region, though he speculated that "at least half" were locals.
"I’ve just been amazed; it’s just kept on climbing. I’m really surprised it’s got as high as it is."
Chair of the Automobile Association's Nelson District Council, Kyle Lightfoot, said the ticketing increase was "astounding".
He now used cruise control when driving the route because it was easy for drivers’ speed to exceed the new, lower limit.
"However, we should all try to abide by the law, and the law is an 80km/h speed limit, at the moment," he said.
"But it's unfortunate that it is such a huge increase."
He highlighted that speed limit signs were regularly repeated – national guidance was for 2.7km intervals between the signs on 80km/h roads.
"It's not through lack of telling people that the speed limit is 80km/h, because it's blatantly there in front of them, so whether it’s just old habits die hard, I don’t know."
In its submission to the council on the speed limit changes, the local AA branch supported the 80km/h limit on the "quite dangerous" stretch between the villages of Upper and Lower Moutere but had sought 100km/h to be largely retained between Upper Moutere and State Highway 60.
Lightfoot said the AA was aware of Ellis' petition, but he was not sure if increasing the speed limit to 90km/h would reduce the number of speeding tickets.
Mike Kininmonth is the only incumbent Moutere-Waimea councillor who also sat on the council last term, when it voted on the speed limit changes.
He said he was "surprised" by the "huge" increase in speeding tickets.
"I'm disappointed that there’s so many drivers exceeding the speed limit. It's been well signposted, it’s been well advertised, it has been done for a reason: to reduce accidents and harm."
He was not convinced that the speed limit should be increased again and would want to see more evidence, such as updated crash statistics and next year’s ticket data.
"We get petitions every now and again, and a lot of it is emotional. I just need to see the evidence before I change my mind," he said.
“Speeding is going to get you somewhere a few seconds earlier than you normally would have, but would you have been safe?"
Tasman road policing manager, Inspector Marty Tunley, said that police did not patrol the Moutere Highway more than usual after the speed limit was reduced.
"Overall, the number of infringements issued represents a fraction of total traffic on the highway."
Motorists had a responsibility to drive responsibly and monitor their speed, he said, adding that speed was the leading contributor to crashes and the severity of the outcome.
"Our focus is on keeping everyone safe; the faster you travel, the greater the risks if something unforeseen occurs," Tunley said.
"This is not about revenue; it's about saving lives and preventing death and injury on our roads and the heartbreak that far too many families have had to endure."
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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