US visitors targeted for Highland road safety advice

The scheme comes after a number of serious accidents in the Highlands

Police in the Highlands and Islands are working with US embassy officials to help get road safety messages to American visitors.

North divisional commander Ch Supt Robert Shepherd said the summer had seen a number of fatal and other serious accidents involving tourists from America.

The region's busy roads include the A9, A82 and A96 and the popular North Coast 500 tourist route.

Sharon Munro, founder of Skye-based Keep Left campaign, said the police initiative was a positive move but added that tourists should still be given constant reminders while they were in Scotland.

Ch Supt Shepherd told BBC Scotland News visitors from the USA had been identified as a group to be targeted with road safety messages.

He said: "We have had three or four fatal or serious accidents this summer involving tourists who have come from North America, mostly the United States.

"The reasons are varied - tiredness or ill-health or similar things.

"My road policing colleagues are in contact with the American embassy to see what we can do, working with them to get the information to people coming to Scotland."

The divisional commander said other initiatives to improve safety generally included a fitness to drive day.

It involved officers stopping drivers and asking them to do a basic eyesight test.

He added that campervan hire companies had been asked to remind customers of the risks that slower moving vehicles could cause in terms of congestion and driver frustration.

There were 16 road fatalities in the north division in 2023-24 - four of them on the A9, according to Police Scotland figures.

The figures showed there were four motorcycle fatalities over those 12 months. Three of the people who died were visitors to the Highlands.

Police also said a fatal collision on the A82 had involved a foreign driver.

The Keep Left campaign has been putting up signs around Skye to remind overseas drivers which side of the road to drive on.

Ms Munro believes such prompts are needed on other Highland roads.

She said: "It only takes a split second as pulling away to take the wrong lane.

"By having signs on roads, it's a prompt and constant reminder of where they should be."