A DARTMOOR pony was put down last Wednesday after a collision with a car near Princetown. The accident happened on the Yelverton to Princetown Road just after 9pm. The South West Equine Protection organisation was called out and the injured pony was destroyed at the scene. Following the incident, campaigners again pleaded with motorists to slow down and stick to the Moor Care speed limit of 40mph. Maureen Rolls, of South West Equine Protection, said it was the third pony to die in the past three weeks on what she said were the usual 'suspect' roads. She added that the pony was badly injured and had to be put down, whereas the two other ponies were killed along the same stretch of road. In a bid to reduce traffic speed and protect the animals, Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society had spent thousands of pounds on three speed monitors for moor roads. Marion Saunders, chairman of the DLPS, said reducing the speed on the roads was an on-going campaign, which is why the DLPS put the speed monitors in place. She said: 'When cars speed, the monitor flashes people to slow down to 40mph, but it not only does that, it also records the speed the car was doing and when it was doing it. 'We want, and have, been asking the police to do some speed traps as there could be patterns emerging of the times speeding takes place. If no- one sticks to the speed limit and pays attention to the monitors what is the point? 'I do feel that fencing the area is a good idea but one needs to remember this is a national park and should be open. 'It's personal taste on what the moor should look like. I think the roads should be made less straight so people would have no choice but to slow down — but I do want to see the animals safe, which is why the LPS has moved for the enforcement of the 40mph limit. 'Fencing is a long-term project and not everyone wants it. We are trying to do everything we can to reduce the traffic speed.'
