Riskiest roads to drive in Cornwall as speed watch get fines power

Seven of the nine roads are in Cornwall, with them all rate high or medium-high risk for young drivers in a new study by the AA Charitable Trust.

Cornwall is also home to the only high-risk road in the south west.

The A388, between the Carkeel roundabout and the A30 via Callington, saw 17 collisions between 2013 and 2018, with 53% (nine) of them involving young drivers.

Now Community Speed Watch teams, which are made up of concerned volunteers, will soon be able to give fines to speeding drivers and report them.

Previously the groups have not been able to enforce the law when they catch drivers breaking the speed limit, with motorists instead getting a warning letter from the police.

However, the Alliance Roads Policing Team in Devon and Cornwall is planning to change that by embedding qualified speed detection officers into the groups, giving the groups greater powers.

Community Speed Watch teams will be given powers to fine

The AA Charitable Trust has revealed the riskiest rural roads for young drivers, who are a priority vulnerable road user group for the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership.

Research by the AA shows 71% of fatal crashes involving young drivers are on rural roads. An interactive map highlights several roads in the South West which are considered to be the riskiest for young drivers.

The medium-high risk roads in Devon and Cornwall named in the study are:

• A358 (Devon) between Colyford and Axminster, via Musbury

• A3072 (Devon) between Bickleigh and the A377 Exeter Road past Shobrooke Park

• A391 (Cornwall) between St Austell and the A30 Bodmin bypass via Bugle

• A389 (Cornwall) between the A30 Bodmin bypass and Bodmin town, via Lanivert

• A3059 (Cornwall) between the A30 and St Columb Minor, past Cornwall Airport Newquay

• A3058 (Cornwall) between Quintrell Downs near Newquay and St Columb Minor

• A3075 (Cornwall) from the Chiverton Cross roundabout at Three Burrows and Trevemper, via Rejerrah

• A3083 (Cornwall) from Helston to The Lizard

Supt Adrian Leisk, Alliance strategic lead for roads policing, said: “We know young drivers are at greater risk of being involved in serious collisions, the impact of which can be devastating for them, their families and loved ones.

“While driver education is vital to improving the safety of young road users, enforcement has also proven to be a very effective deterrent.

“Community Speed Watch teams across Devon and Cornwall assist us heavily in highlighting issues and drivers of concern. We intend to significantly increase the number of active teams in the region, as well as the level of support they receive, over the next 12 months.

“We also plan to deploy Speed Detection Officers within Community Speed Watch teams so those groups which will give us greater reach to issue on-the-spot fines and report drivers who are caught breaking the law.”

Young drivers are a priority for road safety. Picture: Getty

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is the national lead for road safety with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and chairs the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership.

Commissioner Hernandez said: “Sadly young drivers are over-represented in fatal and serious collisions which is why Vision Zero South West considers them a priority when it comes to vulnerable road users.

“We all know how exciting it is when you first pass your driving test and gain all that extra freedom, particularly in a part of the country like the South West.

“Education is vital with young drivers. Making sure they know the potential risks of things like passenger distraction, night driving or using mobile phones while driving is so important and will ultimately ensure our roads are safer in the future.

“Our vision is to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall’s roads to zero by 2040, and to cut the numbers to 50% by 2030. We can only do this by engaging young people.”