FIGURES of drivers caught for speeding on moorland roads are ‘down’ but animal related road traffic collisions are on the rise.

In 2017, officers from Devon and Cornwall Police began a speed enforcement campaign called ‘Op Granite’ at several locations on Dartmoor, including Peek Hill, Dousland and Yelverton, in direct response to the public’s concerns and reactions to extreme speeding on Dartmoor.

Special constables from the road policing unit (RPU) and the rural engagement team have since targeted anti-social driving and educated motorists on road safety — and within the first year they prosecuted 23 people for speeding.

Since then, the figures of those flouting the speed limits across Dartmoor has reduced year on year with 2019 seeing only nine motorists prosecuted for speeding.

SC Dave Wooding from the RPU unit said: ‘We have spent many weekends enforcing the speed limits on Dartmoor’s roads, following concerns received by the force that people were driving too fast through villages and on the moor’s roads. We are responding to these concerns and showing a police presence and providing awareness.

‘We have spent the same amount of time on the moors each year and prosecutions have reduced. This reflects what Community Speedwatch has seen and shows that something is working between them and the police. Speeding has clearly decreased.’

But figures just released by Dartmoor Livestock Protection show that in 2019 there had been 179 road traffic collisions involving livestock of which 137 were killed.

DLP officer Karla McKechnie said: ‘The number of road traffic collisions (RTC) are slightly down from the last four years but overall the numbers of animals killed are high.

‘This morning (Monday, January 20) a pony was killed on the B3212 at Sharpitor — and in December we had six ponies killed due to RTCs with vehicles.

‘The work the police have done these past years really has helped as it has made drivers accountable for their actions, but the trouble is, the deaths of animals are taking place in areas where speeding shouldn’t take place, in narrow lanes like those at Sampford Spiney and Plasterdown. That’s where we are seeing an increase in animals being killed. We have mile after mile of unfenced roads on Dartmoor and that’s where the police are targeting but traffic should be slower on narrow lanes where we are seeing a rise in animal deaths.’

Anyone who sees an injured animal at the road side on Dartmoor should contact Karla on 07873 587561.

As well as speeding issues, the RPU has started evening patrols in response to reports of anti-social driving around, Yelverton, Burrator and Cadover.