Police and a road safety partnership have urged drivers to slow down after new speed cameras across Devon and Cornwall detected more than 3,200 offences in their first few days.

One of the cameras has been activated around 120 times per day in the first two weeks, while another detected a driver travelling at 73mph on a 30mph road. Earlier this month Devon & Cornwall Police reported the installation of four new high-tech bi-directional speed cameras. In Devon, the new digital cameras replaced older Gatso models on Exeter Road in Exmouth and the A385 Ashburton Road in Totnes. These cameras were funded by the Vision Zero South West Road Safety Partnership.

All of these routes have had problems with collisions and speeding vehicles, prompting numerous complaints to local councils and the police from residents.

In total, the four cameras — which have been operational for between 7 and 15 days — have detected 3,280 speeding offences: The cameras at St Annes Chapel has seen 599 activations since 14/6/23, with the highest recorded speed at 73mph. At Drakewalls, the cameras have been activated 145 times since 22/6/23, with the highest speed recorded at 47mph. The A376 Exeter Road cameras have been activated 1,671 times since 14/6/23, with the highest speed recorded at 61mph. On Ashburton Road, the cameras have been activated 865 times since 16/6/23, with the highest speed recorded at 56mph.

Adrian Leisk, Devon & Cornwall Police’s Head of Road Safety and chair of the Vision Zero South West enforcement committee, said he was shocked by the results. He said: 'It is disappointing to see the number of vehicles that have been detected travelling at excess speed on these routes, but the speeds some of them have been travelling at are worrying. All of these cameras are located in 30mph zones and already two of them have caught drivers travelling at more than double that speed. It’s just not acceptable.

'We’ve gone to great lengths to publicise the fact that these new cameras have been installed at these locations, where they are sited in full view on bright yellow poles.  It is disappointing drivers continue to put their own and other people’s lives at risk by failing to comply with speed limits. Please take this as another warning that these cameras are fully operational and are already catching far, far too many speeding motorists. The whole purpose of publicising this information is to slow people down. The success of the schemes will be measured by reduced activations as people lower their speeds.

'We have much to do in changing behaviour and will be installing many more schemes in the coming months, with similar publicity. It surprises me, that in a cost of living crisis and climate emergency people still travel in excess of speed limits, burning more fuel and increasing wear and tear on brakes and tyres. Slowing down saves you money too! As I’ve said many times before, there is a very easy way to avoid a speeding conviction, just stick to the speed limits.'