DARTMOOR National Park Authority has been praised for its safety policy regarding traffic on unfenced moorland roads by a national campaign group. The Open Spaces Society has written to transport ministers in England and Wales advocating a universal speed-limit of no more than 40 miles an hour for unfenced roads across common land. Where the commons are close to towns or villages, an existing speed-limit zone should be extended to include the common. Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the society, said: 'We have reminded the ministers that an excellent example has been set in the Dartmoor National Park where there is a 40 mile-per-hour speed limit on the unfenced roads across the commons. 'We have told them also that recently, the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society and Devon County Council have supported the Dartmoor National Park Authority in providing flashing signs to remind the speeding motorist to slow down. 'We should like to see this example replicated wherever unfenced roads cross common land. Commons are important for their history, wildlife and opportunities for quiet recreation. But too many are now crossed by busy roads.' Ms Ashbrook said managers of common land often erected fencing to separate stock from speeding traffic — which the Open Spaces Society felt was an 'eye-sore' and a 'physical and psychological barrier to public access'. 'We should much prefer the traffic to be slowed than the common to be fenced,' she said. 'Commons are traditionally open and unenclosed, and fencing destroys that historic concept. 'If there was a universal, speed-limit of, say, 40mph where unfenced roads cross commons, there would be much less need for fencing. '
