Police have paid up for fines totaling more than $200,000 over the past year.

Drivers behind the wheel of police cars have been busted speeding more than 1000 times over the past year, amassing more than $200,000 worth of fines in the process.

But despite highlighting the public's speeding behaviour, police refuse to say the top speeds cop cars were captured at for fear it will drive copycat drivers to attempt break the limits.

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Police had 686 fines waived but had to pay up on 392 tickets.

Police figures released under the Official Information Act show 1078 speeding tickets were issued to police caught over the limit in a patrol car from 1 July 2014 to June 30 2015.

Of those, 686 tickets were waived after officers proved they were responding to legitimate priority jobs at the time they were snapped on camera.

But 392 drivers of police cars have been slapped with a fine for unjustly speeding - a result National manager road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said is disappointing.

"Police employees and officers know the rules - officers are exempt in certain circumstances and a lot of the time they can justify it - but there is no excuse to be exceeding the speed limit outside of the law and that it is disappointing."

"Under the Land Transport Rule 2004, officers are exempt from speeding when driving slower would impact on the job. But anyone caught without a reasonable excuse was subject to the same fines and court action as a member of the public.

"They too had to pay up out of their own pocket," Greally said.

"It may be a family violence call-out where a man is beating his wife - police can exceed the speed limit - but it is not permission to drive at whatever speed you like."

Greally said 392 tickets was relatively small given there are 12000 police staff using 3300 fleet vehicles, travelling an average 85 million kilometres a year.

"Our officers are conducive when it comes to speed but people do make mistakes."

Police confirmed the largest fine issued was $630 for speeds over 45kmh but not more than 50kmh. However they refused a request to release the highest speeds that were recorded.

"Police are concerned that the publication of the highest speeds may trivialise or sensationalise high speeds and potentially create an environment where people may attempt to exceed the highest recorded speed," the response said.

Greally said speed was the biggest killer on New Zealand roads and police would take no chances.

"We have all seen the disastrous effects of people who don't care about the safety of others.

"We really don't want to give people any ideas as to what sort of speeds people are doing - trust me there will be someone out there who will try and beat that speed."

However, police regularly highlight speeds reached by members of the public.

In September police warned of the potentially "catastrophic" speeds of three drivers, including one clocked at 191kmh, on the Waikato Expressway, providing dashcam footage and radar readings.

Police drivers in Wellington racked up the most fines, receiving 283 tickets and paying up on 99 of those.

Police in Counties Manukau paid up on 67 of 174 fines, followed by Waitemata police who paid up on 55 of 174 issued.

Waikato police were found to be unjustifiably speeding in a police car in 22 of the 58 instances where a fine was issued.

Waikato Police District Commander, Superintendent Bruce Bird, said in an ideal world no speeding tickets would be issued to police staff.

"If officers have no statutory reason for their infringement, then they will be held to the same account as any other road users."

Bird said staff who receive a ticket undergo a rigorous process overseen by a district policing manager to prove the speed, conditions and circumstances are appropriate.

"Police staff are aware that when driving police vehicles their driving behaviour needs to reflect the professionalism of police and ensure that safety is always the first consideration."

In one of the largest and most diverse driving areas in the country, Bird said he was comfortable the Waikato was "middle of the road" among other regions.

People behind the wheel may not just be officers but non-sworn members, mechanics testing vehicles or, in the rare case, car thieves.

All tickets were issued from photographic evidence of patrol cars captured on the 45 mobile and static speed cameras.

Police were also subject to the lower speed thresholds and 4kmh reduced limit during holiday periods.