Devon & Cornwall Police News site

Speeding motorists will be the focus of police and volunteers across Devon & Cornwall next week as part of national Road Safety Week.

Roads Policing teams, Speed Detection Officers and Special Constables will be out in force across the two counties from November 19–25 in an effort to slow drivers down.

They will also be joined by hundreds of volunteers from Community Speedwatch teams in neighbourhoods all over the South West.

Speed is the theme of this year’s Road Safety Week, which is organised by national charity Brake.

Across the UK, police figures show that travelling too fast or exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor in 25% of deaths, where an officer attended the scene of a collision.

Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon & Cornwall Police, is also chair of the Vision Zero South West enforcement group.

Mr Leisk said: “I’m really pleased Brake have chosen speed as the theme for national Road Safety Week as it’s something which continues to cause significant issues on Devon and Cornwall’s roads.

“We know speed is a contributory factor in many serious and fatal collisions – it gives you less time to react and significantly increases your chances of being killed or seriously injured in the event of a crash.

“To support Road Safety Week, we will be mobilising officers and volunteers to monitor lots of different roads across the two counties – including some places where you may not have seen us before - so please don’t get caught out.

“Speed enforcement is not there to make money – it is there to protect road users and keep people safe by ensuring motorists adhere to speed limits.”

Ross Moorlock, Interim CEO at Brake, said: “Every time we drive faster than the speed limit, or too fast for the road conditions, we increase the risk of a crash – and we increase the chance that someone will be killed or hurt on the road. The faster you go, the longer the stopping distance and the harder you will hit something.

“Whoever you are, and however you travel – this year we are challenging everyone to start talking about speed with your friends, families and colleagues.”

For more information about Brake Road Safety Week, visit: Road Safety Week | Brake

To find answers to several road safety Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – including questions around speed enforcement - visit: FAQs - vision-zero (visionzerosouthwest.co.uk)

ENDS

What is Vision Zero South West?

Vision Zero is a shared commitment between a number of organisations across Devon and Cornwall.  The one thing they all share is a commitment to cut the number of deaths and serious injuries in the region to zero.

Vision Zero is led by a partnership board which includes a wide range of experts from all around the South West including senior police and fire officers, leading clinicians, councillors and the police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Vision Zero’s partners include:

• Cornwall Council
• Devon County Council
• Plymouth City Council
• Torbay Council
• Exeter City Council
• Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
• Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
• Devon and Cornwall Police
• Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
• National Highways
• NHS University Hospitals Plymouth Trust
• Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
• South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
• Cornwall Air Ambulance
• Devon Air Ambulance
• Driving for Better Business
• Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS)
• TTC

For more information visit www.visionzerosouthwest.co.uk.  You can also follow Vision Zero on Facebook at www.facebook.com/visionzerosw, on Twitter at twitter.com/visionzerosw or on Instagram at instagram.com/visionzerosouthwest