Police launch A9 road safety campaign

The A9 Perth to Inverness road. Picture: Ian Rutherford

A STARK warning campaign targeting overtaking drivers on the A9 was launched by Police Scotland today - “If in doubt, don’t risk it.”

Transport minister Keith Brown said more than 40 per cent of crashes on single carriageway sections of the road in the four years to 2012 had involved overtaking.

He said: “Road users tell us they are concerned about the number of dangerous overtaking manoeuvres they see on the route.

“The aim of this campaign is to give drivers the knowledge to overtake safely, without putting their lives or those of fellow road users at risk.”

A website has been launched to provide traffic information for the road - www.a9road.info.

Superintendent Iain Murray, head of road policing for Police Scotland said: “It is vitally important motorists pay close attention to their driving at all times and carefully consider any manoeuvre that might put themselves, or other road users, in a position of danger.

“Overtaking is inherently risky and it is imperative that drivers look carefully at the road beyond the vehicle in front and accurately assess the dangers that might exist before attempting to overtake.

“Sadly, this year we have had occasions on the roads in Scotland where overtaking manoeuvres have ended in tragedy, so the simple rule must be ‘if in doubt, don’t risk it’.”