With Spring here at last, bikers are expected to take to the tarmac this weekend in increased numbers – and Police Scotland is urging them to ride safely.
Following the deaths of two motorcyclists on Scotland’s roads last weekend, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams is appealing to all bikers to ride safely, particularly those who had their bikes in storage over the winter and are still sharpening their riding skills after a break of several months.
He said: “We understand the thrill of motorcycling but we also want people to keep safe, especially when overtaking and negotiating left hand bends. Bikers make up a small percentage of all road users, but unfortunately make up a large number of people who are seriously injured and killed on our roads.”
With the North West 200, a major motorcycle event taking place this weekend in Northern Ireland, bikers are expected to head to the ferry port at Cairnryan from all parts of the country. In response, Police Scotland’s Road Policing officers will be out, engaging with road users and encouraging motorcyclists to stay safe. While the whole of the country will be covered, they will be paying special attention to the A77 and A75 corridors, as bikers head to Cairnryan from the Central Belt and from the Borders and North of England.
Where offences are committed, they will enforce the law and stop anyone who is driving in an irresponsible, anti-social, erratic or illegal manner.Inspector Ian Paul, who leads Police Scotland’s National Motorcycle Unit, said: “The roads will get busier in the coming months, with an increase in tourist and foreign drivers who are unfamiliar with the roads. Bikers are particularly vulnerable on the and we will be using all available resources to detect speeding and dangerous road use”.
