IT’S a sunny May morning and what could be better than a leisurely drive through the New Forest?

And I do mean leisurely. The official speed limit here is 40mph, but I’ll be driving 30mph – just to see how people react.

Even before you get into the forest it’s evident the authorities are doing their best to make you aware that large, furry animals might suddenly appear in the carriageway.

The word “slow” is painted on the asphalt every five yards, or so it seems, and there are numerous signs on the A35 warning of deer.

Just after Sway I go over the cattle grid with that unmistakable rumble that tells you you’re in the New Forest.

I’m in a 40mph zone – it’s painted on the road – but decide to drop down to 35mph; five miles less than the legal limit but five faster than the Commoners would like.

A white van whizzes by in the opposite direction. There are no ponies but what if one appeared? There’s a pony up ahead... the car in front doesn’t brake but I drop my speed.

The pony and its foal carry on munching.

No cars are impatiently up the back of me, just a Toyota driven by a very old lady at a sedate pace.

I turn left towards Brockenhurst – a nice, straight road with plenty of ponies around.

I drop my speed to 30mph. The vehicle now behind does likewise. And the one behind that.

As we proceed towards the railway bridge, a sign informs me that there is a “risk of ponies under the bridge” – they like to shelter there in hot weather.

Most of the drivers so far have been elderly and keeping to the 40mph limit.

A pony and foal approach the carriageway so I slow. A man in a Land Rover Discovery belts past on the opposite side, yakking on his mobile, evidently confident he could brake safely, continue his conversation and miss the foal and its mother, if he had to.

I approach the rail bridge again – the sun is bright and it would be very hard indeed, at 40mph, to spot a dark pony in the shade.

I turn right at St Saviour’s Church and head for Rhinefield.

Every driver, as far as I can see, is going at around 30mph already – good for them!

There are loads of ponies around so I slow again.

The Mercedes behind me politely drops back.

A Lotus sports car trundles past in the opposite direction – I doubt he’s even hit 35mph.

A few miles on and it’s evident to me that older drivers, even those with sports cars, behave the best round here.

The worst drivers I’ve seen have been the ones in over-large 4x4s, business-types and a teenage lad in a white car.

I stop at one of the car parks to talk to a couple with three dogs.

Mr and Mrs Eric and Mary Anderson are from Southampton and often visit the Forest.

Do they think the speed limit should be lowered?

“Yes,” says Mr Anderson.

“I don’t tend to go much over 35mph anyway so it wouldn’t bother me.

“If people want to go fast they should go on the A31, not here.”

I drive off. Nearer to Burley, three beautiful donkeys amble into the road.

The smallest decides to stand in front of my car. Then, very slowly, he moves off and so do I.

A car is coming in the opposite direction; it’s a Passat, driven by a man in a collar and tie. I look in the rear view mirror, fearing for the donkeys. His brake lights don’t even come on...

In another car park two local women say they’d be happy to see a reduction in the official speed limit but tell me: “People blame it on the tourists when a pony gets killed but it’s usually a local.”

They are correct.

And the people who deal with it, the Forest’s Court of Verderers and the Agisters, have had enough.

Agisters are the people called to deal with animals like the young brown donkey killed by a hit and run on March 9 at Lords Oak.

The motorist left her in the middle of the road with two broken legs. She was found by a school teacher who contacted the Agister.

By the time he arrived, the donkey had died.

In a bid to tackle this horror, the Verderers run their own Hit and Run Reward Scheme, which pays up to £1,000 for information leading to successful convictions of drivers who fail to report an accident with a Forest animal.

No one has claimed that speed in excess of 30mph or 40mph contributed to these incidents.

But the Commoners Defence Association believe a further lowering of the limit would help.