Devon & Cornwall Police are clamping down on speeding drivers on a major route in Devon after some vehicles were detected travelling at over 100mph.
The high speeds on the A30 between Exeter and Honiton have sparked concerns for the safety of road workers who are due to carry out maintenance on the route this month.
Crews from National Highways are conducting resurfacing work on the A30 throughout March and fear their staff could be particularly vulnerable around such high speeds.
National Highways’ Service Manager Stephen Potts said: National Highways’ Service Manager Stephen Potts said: “Over recent weeks very high vehicle speeds have been detected at various locations on this stretch of the A30.
“This is particularly worrying for us and our workforce who are about to embark on a series of resurfacing works during the evenings, which is when these particularly high speeds have been detected.
“As members of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership, we welcome the support of our Devon and Cornwall Police partners to increase detection and improve safety across our road network.
“We undertake a number of safety campaigns and initiatives, and we also work closely with local police partners and road safety partnerships in operations such as this, which help to raise awareness and spread the safety message to road users.”
There have been a total of 36 collisions on the A30 between Honiton and Exeter from 2017 to 2021, nine of which resulted in death or serious injury.
Adrian Leisk is Head of Road Safety at Devon & Cornwall Police, as well as chair of the Vision Zero South West enforcement committee.
Mr Leisk said: “While the majority of drivers are responsible and conscious of the safety of those around them, a small minority continue to ignore the shared rules of the road. This is putting people’s lives at risk.
“We know that speed is a major contributory factor to fatal and serious collisions. The faster you travel, the less time you have to react and the higher your chances are of suffering serious or fatal injuries.
“Workers on the A30 are there to do a job and maintain the high road surface quality, which is something most drivers feel very strongly about. It is not fair that speeding motorists should leave them feeling vulnerable or at-risk while they are carrying out their job.”
Mr Leisk said drivers can expect to see vastly increased speed enforcement along the A30 for the foreseeable future.
He added: “Our team of Speed Detection Officers are already out monitoring and enforcing along several sections of this route. They will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months, so please take this as fair warning.
“Remember, speeding is not only dangerous but could also land you with penalty points, a hefty fine, increased insurance premiums and even a court appearance. It’s just not worth it.”
