MOBILE cameras to catch the worst speeding offenders along Dartmoor roads in West Devon are in the pipeline. It is hoped the mobile safety partnership cameras will be used along the main roads where drivers tend to speed, and cause injury or even death to the animals on Dartmoor. The three speeding and accident ?hot spots? are Peak Hill, the top of Pork Hill and Hay Tor. The appeal for mobile cameras came from the Dartmoor Commoners Council and Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society, as animals are still being injured and killed by drivers who are exceeding the limit of 40mph. DLPS have paid for current speed visors which are situated at the three locations, and often move between different sites. The society hopes the use of mobile cameras will be more effective in combating the speeding issue. The monitors flash the ?40? sign at motorists when they are above the speed limit and record the speed that the driver was doing at the time of approaching the machine. Marion Saunders, chairman of DLPS, said: ?They have more impact when they are moved. ?They collect data and record how fast they are going. The data is then analysed by the Dartmoor National Park.? She added that the authority is then able to see how fast the vehicle is going and at what time, and to see if speeding occurs a lot during a certain time. ?It really is a collective team effort between DNPA, DLPS and the police,? said Mrs Saunders. But before the cameras can be used on West Devon roads, Inspector Ian Milligan from Tavistock Police Station has to make a bid for the equipment to come to the area as West Devon police have limited resources. Insp Milligan said the cameras will be placed within vans to give flexibility ? allowing the cameras to be moved to different spots in the area when they are needed. He said: ?We are doing this to improve road safety in West Devon and for the farming community, as they have just as much need for these cameras. ?Speeding is an issue in rural communities in the area.? Insp Milligan said incidents of speeding during the peak tourist season actually declined, as visitors drove more slowly to enjoy the Dartmoor scenery. ?The information gathered is that it?s people local to the area who are having to travel across Dartmoor to work, who speed,? he said. ?The roads in this area are not designed for fast driving. We have got to be very aware of the animals and take that into account when driving. ?We encourage drivers to be not only thinking about other road users but to think for the animals? safety. ?Unfortunately they will never learn the green cross code.?
