Kingsbridge Town Council now manages 2 in number vehicle activated speed warning signs which can be moved between allocated locations in town. An initial sign has been in operation since early 2018 and recently a second sign has been purchased to help reduce vehicle speed and research identifies that they make our roads much safer.
Blank for most of the time, if an approaching vehicle is travelling faster than a pre-set speed threshold, the sign lights up and shows the speed limit with the warning message: SLOW DOWN. This alerts drivers to reduce their speed to a safe level.
Devon County Council, in liaison with the Police, have a joint procedure to investigate speeding concerns called SCARF (Speed Compliance Action Review Forum) where vehicle speed data is obtained over a specified period. Five locations in Kingsbridge have been investigated and this is where the warning signs operate: Cookworthy Road and Embankment Road (both A379), Duncombe Street, Stentiford Hill and West Alvington Hill. A SCARF survey conducted along West Alvington Hill has highlighted that almost 50% of all vehicles travelling uphill towards West Alvington were in excess of the 30mph limit and 25% driving downhill into Kingsbridge were also above the speed limit. The speed signs will operate over a 2 to 3 week period at each location.
Councillor Mike Jennings, Town Mayor, said: “Please keep to the speed limit when driving around town to ensure we sustain Kingsbridge as a safe environment for everyone”.