West Devon communities with problems with speeding traffic are set to benefit from a cash handout of more than £150,000 from the Vision Zero South West road safety campaign.

The police-led project, which has a target of cutting fatal collisions to zero in the South West by 2040, had initially committed a total funding pot of £100,000.

However, a call for ideas to communities yielded so many worthy projects that the Vision Zero board agreed to increase funding to more than £150,000 to allow more schemes to take place.

In total £153,000 will be spent to fund 34 projects across Devon and Cornwall, including Vehicle Activated Speed signs (subject to agreement with the local highway authorities), new road signs and markings, high visibility neck bands for cattle and ponies and glow in the dark stickers for schoolchildren.

As well as this, a further four projects have been adopted into the Vision Zero South West road safety delivery plan, including providing advanced driver courses for drivers under the age of 25 and engagement events for older drivers, cyclists and young drivers – all of whom are vulnerable road user groups in Devon and Cornwall.

In West Devon, sections of busy roads in Lamerton, Dousland to Princetown, Sourton and the Bere Peninsula are set to benefit.

On the B3212, Peek Lane, between Dousland and Princetown, a notorious route for speeding drivers heading for the moor, the funding will pay for reflective bands for both moorland cattle and ponies, as well as signs and an electronic Vehicle Activated Sign which flashes at drivers to slow down.

Meanwhile along Ley Lane between Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers, the money will pay for two warning signs and to paint white lines on the road.

A grant will also go towards a speed camera, 30mph speed limit signs and a white safety walkway sign at Lamerton on Old Launceston Road and towards two Vehicle Activated speed signs on the B3362 at Milton Abbot.

Finally on the A386 at Sourton heading in the Tavistock direction, the money will pay for two ‘road narrows’ signs to alert drivers that the road is getting closer to people walking along the footpath beside the road.

Milton Abbot Community Road Safety Group have welcomed their funding for two vehicle activated speed signs after flagging up the dangers that local schoolchildren face on their daily walk to school.

Local community speedwatch member Chris Stone said: ‘We became aware, particularly during the lockdown, of excessive speeding through the village and also that children were feeling traumatised by fast, close passing vehicles on their way to school. We’ve been looking at how we can provide advanced road safety systems here and an obvious first step was to introduce signs which indicate to the driver how fast they are going and request politely that they slow down.’

Responding to the news that they had been successful in their funding application, Chris said: ‘It is great and an enormous support to our efforts in the village.’

Chairman of the Vision Zero South West board Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: ‘Every community I visit raises the subject of road safety, which is why I have made it a priority in my new Police and Crime Plan.

‘I’m delighted that we’ve been able to fund and support so many projects, led mainly by volunteers committed to saving lives. We know we can only tackle road safety and achieve our target of zero serious collisions by 2040 with the help of our local communities.’