Shillingford Parish Council has installed two new flashing speed signs in an attempt to slow drivers down.

The vehicle activated signs (VAS) display the speed a vehicle is travelling and are used to encourage motorists to comply with the speed limit or to warn of a hazard.

Residents have been increasingly concerned about drivers exceeding the 30mph limit through the villages, particularly as many commuters use the road as a rat run to avoid congestion on the A379.

Shillingford Parish Council has installed two speed activated signs in a bid to slow fast drivers
One of the vehicle activated signs installed by Shillingford Parish Council to reduce speeding. (Peter Wareham)

However, because no serious accidents have been recorded, the Parish was unlikely to qualify for help from Devon County Council. Instead, the Parish Council has used funding from the from the Community Infrastructure Levy, which it has received as compensation for the huge amounts of construction work taking place in the area, to pay for the signs.

The Parish Council has erected one of its new signs at the Clapham end of Shillingford St George and the other sign has been placed next to the village sign in Shillingford Abbot as drivers approach from the Exeter direction.

However, a Parish spokesperson said the signs, which have a detection range of 300 metres, are likely to be moved in the future, according to need.

The initial locations have been identified, in consultation with Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon Highways, as the stretches of road where vehicles exceed the speed limit the most.

‘It should be emphasised that our approach is not a punitive one, but an attempt to raise driver awareness when speeding,’ a Parish Council spokesperson said.