LOCAL MP Ian Liddell-Grainger this week gave his backing to the campaign to make Exmoor’s roads safer.

He said he is encouraged by the fact that the risks are finally being recognised and that a multi-agency approach is being adopted to reducing them.

He believed that speed was still a factor in far too many accidents.

"But in this area we have the additional hazard of tourists who spend most of their time driving on motorways and fast trunk roads and who arrive on Exmoor totally unprepared for the hazards of a road network which has barely been improved since it was topped with Tarmac.

"This, taken in combination with the fact that modern cars are capable of frighteningly high speeds, presents a highly dangerous situation and one which is going to have to be tackled by improved driving standards rather than improved roads.

"We need to get a general message out to visitors that journey times will inevitably be longer on Exmoor simply because of the nature of the roads - and that they need to be really alert when driving in the area.

"As local residents, we also need to respond to the risks and leave plenty of time for our journeys. We may all be familiar with the dangers - the real problems arise when that familiarity turns into complacency."