New weapon in battle against speed

Press, 19 April 1985, Page 18

New weapon in battle against speed

PA Wellington New electronic equipment destined to be the Ministry of Transport’s top weapon in a revamped anti-speed-ster arsenal is about to be ordered. Called a “digitector,” the Australian-built device has already been tested near Wellington by the Ministry. Motorists have no way of knowing the digitector is ahead because its operation does not trigger the radar detectors that thousands of motorists have fitted to their cars.

The first hint people get that the digitector is in use is when their car runs over two rubber strips laid across the road. By then, however, it will be too late to slow down because the vehicle’s speed between the strips will have been monitored by a traffic officer. For some speedsters the first they will know of the digitector’s use is when they are caught because the Ministry will be laying permanent speed traps under all highways. These can be quickly plugged into monitoring gear.

The Ministry’s chief traffic superintendent, Mr lan Coddington, said a decision had been made to buy the digitector. Money was already provided for in this year’s budget and a quotation had been sought from the Australian makers. At least one digitector would be provided for each of the 23 traffic districts and, if bulk buying discounts were offered, more sets might be bought, he said. A study of the digitector last year put the pre-de-valuation cost of 23 sets and associated works and gear at just over $lOO,OOO. The study recommended that five permanent loop sites be installed under the highway in each of the 23 traffic districts, providing 115 nationally. As well, each district should be equipped with one set of portable tubes which would be laid anywhere. Mr Coddington said that if special campaigns were being mounted by particular districts digitector gear would be brought in from other districts.