Police Scotland is calling on road users to play their part in reducing motorcyclist deaths, after a new report showed there were 269 motorcycle deaths in a nine-year period.
The analysis, by Police Scotland and Transport Scotland, examined fatalities involving 253 riders and 16 passengers between January 2015 and August 2024.
In total, 18% of all fatalities were a motorcycle rider or passenger, despite motorcycles only being estimated to account for less than 1% of traffic in Scotland.
Police Scotland released the findings as they launched a campaign asking drivers to be considerate of vulnerable road users, and for motorcyclists to take action against the risks.
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of Road Policing, said: “We don’t want motorcyclists to die on Scotland’s roads. The reality is people are dying and we need people to take action.
“Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable road users. Cornering left hand bends and overtaking are the most common collision types. I’m asking bikers to be aware of these risks, take extra care in these situations and share this information.
“For other drivers, you are more likely to see a motorcyclist on the road from now until autumn so take an extra look for them, especially in rural areas on a weekend.
“Losing control of your bike or failing to look properly can happen in a split second.
“We are running Rider Refinement classes with a road safety charity and doing targeted patrols, speaking with all road users. But we need your help to change behaviours.
“Take responsibility and take care of each other on the road.”
The highest number of fatal motorcyclist collisions took place in the Highlands local authority area, followed by Argyll and Bute, then the Scottish Borders.
Fatalities were mostly men, aged between 46-55.
