92-year-old grandad gets seven speeding tickets in five months

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

Glen Eden man registers seven speeding fines in Auckland 50kmh zones, across five months.

'It's quite a collection, eh?'

West Auckland's Leslie Harris has clocked up $310 worth of speeding fines since December – with all seven infringements registered by fixed and parked speed cameras in 50kmh zones.

The 92-year-old was issued four infringement notices in December for driving over the 50kmh limit on West Coast Rd, Glen Eden.

The Glen Eden man says he's not worried about the speedometer when he's driving, and more focused on being alert.

In those cases he exceeded the limit by 8kmh, 9kmh, 10kmh and 5kmh with each a $30 fine.

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Harris says he's driven trucks, motorcycles and cars since an early age, and the 50kmh speed limit is 'ridiculous'.

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All of Harris' fines have been in his Suzuki Alto – his first brand new car he bought in 2014.

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Harris was issued four infringement notices after four alleged offences on West Coast Rd, Glen Eden.

'It's really frustrating when there's very little traffic on the road,' he said.

'You're trying to make up time and not waste time – I don't waste any time.'

The Glen Eden man has received two speeding infringement notices in 2017: a $30 fine for driving 6kmh over the 50kmh limit on Margan Ave, New Lynn in January and a $80 fine for driving 64kmh on the 50kmh stretch of State Highway 16, Helensville, north-west of Auckland in April.

Harris said it's annoying to be issued such fines when focusing on driving was 'paramount', not worrying about the speedometer.

'I'm just sitting there relaxed. Always thinking about what you're doing,' he said.

'I'm only one person – there must be thousands of people [over the limit],' the grandfather-of-six said.

Harris' other $80 fine was in December after an alleged speed of 61kmh on the 50kmh Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa which was his second ticket for the day.

He said the Auckland 50kmh speed limit was 'ridiculous', but his 'marbles were still in place'.

'It is glaringly clear to me that the 50kmh mentality is very wrong, and should be obsolete.

'60 [kmh] in this day and age is a perfectly safe speed, especially with having vehicles with superior brakes and steering,' Harris said.

Police statistics showed speed camera-issued offences, in the west Auckland region, totalled $1,424,290 in fines in 2016.

Between December 2016 and March a total of $526,280 in fines were issued from 10,756 offences.

Harris said there should be a tolerance of about 3kmh for all 50kmh zones, to prevent having 'eyes glued on the speedometer'.

Police Inspector Kelly Ryan said there's no uniform speed threshold for 50kmh zones.

'A driver travelling over the speed limit at any time, in any place, runs the risk of receiving an infringement notice,' the acting operations manager for road policing said.

Harris said educating people in driving techniques such as using rear and side mirrors should be priority over focusing on speeding drivers – 'schools a good place to start'.

'All those new to driving young or old should have instructions on defensive driving, and management in keeping the traffic flowing.'