44 Bowen Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
5 April 2024
R S Grant
[FYI request #26196 email]
REF: OIA-14975
Dear R S Grant
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 21 March 2024 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I refer to your public release of the "Mobile phone and seatbelt detection trial report - 24 July
2023". Do you have information regarding the speed the vehicles that were travelling at when an
offence was detected? The consequences of distraction while using a mobile phone are clearly
high for a driver travel ing at speed, while they are essentially zero for a driver who is stationary in
traffic. It would be useful to understand what proportion of the 2.4% of drivers committing a mobile
phone offence were actual y causing a danger as opposed to merely sitting in stationary traffic.
The focus of the Mobile Phone and Seatbelt Detection trial was mobile phone and seatbelt use while
driving. As part of the trial design, the cameras were installed on a motorway and mid-block in an
urban street to avoid detecting stationary vehicles. As a result, it can be inferred that all the vehicles
where the drivers were committing mobile phone offences were in motion.
Speeds were detected, but not recorded as part of the trial. Each potential mobile phone offence was
manually verified, including reviewing an image that also included the vehicle speed. For privacy
reasons all images, with the exception of those included in the trial report, have subsequently been
destroyed.
If you would like to discuss this reply with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), please contact
Ministerial Services by email to [NZTA request email].
Yours sincerely
David Strong
Acting Head of Regulatory Strategic Programmes