Story: Road accidents

The first speed detectors used by traffic officers in New Zealand were developed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and came into use in 1949. They were large and cumbersome, but made the job of enforcement more straightforward and safer. As this 1953 newsreel shows, it was possible to identify a speeding driver and radio ahead to a traffic officer stationed further down the road, who could flag down the vehicle as it approached.