SCARF Guide - Reporting Speeding Concerns in Devon

What is SCARF?

The Speed Compliance Action Review Forum (SCARF) is a joint initiative between Devon County Council and Devon & Cornwall Police. It provides a consistent, evidence-based process for assessing community concerns about speeding traffic.

SCARF uses traffic data to determine what intervention is appropriate - from educational campaigns to police enforcement, Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS), or even engineering solutions like traffic calming.

Before SCARF, speeding complaints were handled inconsistently. Now, every concern is assessed using the same criteria, ensuring fair treatment across all Devon communities.

How to Report a Speeding Concern

If your community has concerns about vehicle speeds, here's the process to follow:

1

Start Locally

Contact your Parish or Town Council, or local community group, to confirm the concern is widespread - not just affecting one household.

2

Escalate Formally

Have your County Councillor or Parish/Town Council raise the issue with the Police Road Casualty Reduction Officer or Devon Highways Officer.

3

SCARF Assessment

The concern is logged on the SCARF database. DCC may conduct a hand-held speed survey, and if justified, deploy Speed Detection Radar (SDR) equipment for 1-2 weeks.

4

Outcome Communicated

The SCARF team assesses the data and recommends an intervention level. Results are sent to the person who raised the concern and the local County Councillor.

Note: SCARF will not normally reconsider a location until 3 years have passed since the last assessment. Make sure your initial submission is well-supported with evidence.

Key Metrics: What SCARF Measures

SCARF uses two key metrics to assess speeding problems. Understanding these helps you interpret data and build a stronger case:

Mean (Average) Speed

The arithmetic average of all recorded vehicle speeds. This tells you what the "typical" driver is doing.

Example: If 100 vehicles pass and their speeds add up to 2,900 mph, the mean speed is 29 mph.

85th Percentile Speed

The speed at which 85% of drivers travel at or below. This captures the behaviour of faster drivers and is used to identify enforcement thresholds.

Example: If the 85th percentile is 38 mph in a 30 zone, it means 15% of drivers are exceeding 38 mph.

NPCC Guidelines: Enforcement may be appropriate where the mean speed exceeds the limit, OR where the 85th percentile exceeds the limit by 10% + 2mph (e.g., 35 mph in a 30 zone).

SCARF Intervention Levels

Based on the speed data collected, SCARF assigns one of five intervention levels. Here's what each level means for a 30 mph zone:

Level	Criteria	Intervention
Level 0	Mean ≤ 30 mph 85th %ile ≤ 34.5 mph	No action required, or Speed Indicator Device (SID) deployment for awareness
Level 1	Mean ≤ 30 mph 85th %ile 34.5 - 37.5 mph	SID with Police support, Community Speed Watch. Consider Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) if above NPCC threshold
Level 2	Mean ≤ 34.5 mph or 85th %ile 37.5 - 40.5 mph	Occasional Police or Safety Camera Partnership enforcement. Educational initiatives, mobile VAS deployment
Level 3	Mean > 34.5 mph or 85th %ile > 40.5 mph	Regular Police enforcement, review of road signing, mobile VAS recommended
Level 4	Mean > 37.5 mph	Safety Camera Partnership mobile camera enforcement, or engineering solution (traffic calming, speed limit review)

For other speed limits: The thresholds scale proportionally. Level boundaries are at 15%, 25%, and 35% above the posted limit for the 85th percentile, and 15% and 25% above for mean speed.

Other Options for Communities

Beyond SCARF, there are other ways to address speeding in your community:

Community Speed Watch

A volunteer scheme supported by Devon & Cornwall Police where community members monitor speeds using handheld devices. It's educational rather than enforcement-focused - drivers caught speeding receive warning letters, not fines.

Pros: Community-led, raises awareness, builds local engagement
Cons: Requires regular volunteers, only operates during sessions, drivers may slow when they see you

Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS)

Electronic signs that flash when a vehicle exceeds a set threshold. These can be permanent or temporary, and are effective at encouraging self-correction. Installation requires approval through SCARF.

Speed Indicator Devices (SID)

Displays showing drivers their current speed. Often deployed as awareness tools in conjunction with other measures.

Engineering Solutions

Physical changes to the road: gateway features, build-outs, speed humps, rumble strips, or modified road markings. These require funding and typically follow a Level 4 SCARF recommendation.

How Traffic Snitch Helps

Traditional SCARF assessments rely on Devon County Council deploying Speed Detection Radar (SDR) equipment - which costs approximately £150 per week and can take up to 3 months for results.

Traffic Snitch provides continuous, 24/7 speed monitoring data that communities can use to:

Pre-qualify locations before formal SCARF submission
Demonstrate sustained speeding problems with weeks or months of evidence
Strengthen cases with professional data presentation
Monitor effectiveness after interventions are implemented

Our devices capture the same metrics SCARF uses - average speeds and traffic volumes - giving your community a head start in building an evidence-based case.

Understanding SCARF