The Ministry of Transport has sent the government its advice on changing penalties and fines for motorists, including for speeding.
The work to make changes to the penalties for motorists is behind schedule. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Fines have gone largely unaltered for two decades.
While changes to the penalties regime have been in the works for three years, so far only the fine for using a cellphone while driving has gone up, from $80 to $150 last year.
The changes were heralded as one of 15 "initial actions" of the Road to Zero strategy's first action plan in 2019, but Covid-19 caused delays.
"This work is behind the schedule ... although the successful delivery of this action is not at risk," the Road to Zero monitoring report out recently said.
Today, the Ministry of Transport said it had provided advice to Transport Minister Michael Wood "on a package of proposals and a consultation approach".
It would wait to see what Cabinet had to say then consult the public, which could take two months, it said.
The government has stressed the changes must be fair.
There is speculation there would be more use of demerit points, or that the size of a fine could be linked to a person's income.
The ministry was also looking at "alternative enforcement pathways to support equitable outcomes", the R2Z report said.
"This will enable a penalties regime that will leverage the contribution penalties can make to improving road safety outcomes, while reducing the potential for increased hardship and further non-compliance."
Authorities worry that fines, and penalties on top if they were not paid, can lead people into the criminal justice system.
Any changes should work in with the strategy's actions "such as higher levels of road policing, or greater levels of safety-camera deployment", the report said.
Enforcement of the road rules was now accepted to be a central factor for road safety.
Police have repeatedly admitted in recent months they had not been doing enough regarding enforcement, and were promising to do more.
Research has found a direct link between the rate of alcohol breath testing and the number of serious crashes, with a report warning reduced enforcement in New Zealand appeared linked to a turnaround upwards in road deaths and serious injuries.
"A reasonable explanation is that reduced resourcing of the enforcement allows a greater number of vulnerable drivers on the road network," a 2019 report in the Journal of Safety Research said.