A CRACKDOWN on speeding drivers in Newton Abbot means 32 drivers will be receiving speeding tickets.

This was as a result of a joint operation in St Marychurch Road when police officers, under Dave Burrows, Community Speed Watch Officer, joined Newton Abbot Speed Watch members.

Newton Abbot Police Advocate and Speed Watch campaigner Cllr Mike Joyce reports that 467 cars went past during the joint operation on Tuesday afternoon.

Police joined Newton Abbot’s Community Speed Watch Operatives to back the work the volunteers have been carrying out to make the town’s streets safe from speeding drivers
Police joined Newton Abbot’s Community Speed Watch Operatives to back the work the volunteers have been carrying out to make the town’s streets safe from speeding drivers (Julian Barnes / MDA)

He said that 32 of the drivers who broke the speed limit will receive tickets from the police, with the total in fines expected to exceed £3,000.

Members of the Speed Watch group clocked 48 drivers breaking the speed limit, 32 of them will receive the police summonses.

‘It was a great success and will drive home the message that speeding is unacceptable around Newton Abbot,’ said Mike who is also a town councillor.

‘We are going to go out more often and we will be liaising with the police to identify areas to target.’

He said: ‘I believe the fines received should be returned to the local police force to help fund resources to tackle the problems of speeding further.’

Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) placed in Ashburton Road last year are also helping to drive home the anti-speeding message.

Cllr Joyce reported that from January 2 to February 2 of this year the signs had registered 121,213 vehicles passing.

They recorded speeders at:

► 30 to 35mph – 39,779

► 36 to 39mph – 17,338

► 40 to 49mph – 12,015

► 50 to 59mph – 1,102

► 60 to 69mph+ – 96

► 70 to 79mph – 11

► 80-plus – one.

The VAS signs were funded by a £10,000 award from the Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, as part of the Vision Zero South West initiative.

The multi-agency programme aims to eliminate all road deaths in the region by 2040.