Bike Safe in the Borders and Midlothian

Inspector Richard Latto of the Road Policing Unit said: “We want everyone to enjoy these routes in South Scotland, whether you are a biker visiting from miles away to come and ride through the picturesque scenery, or you are lucky enough to live in one of the many towns and villages along the key roads.

“We are taking the joint approach of education and enforcement. We want bikers to slow down and think about their riding in areas where we have seen injury collisions, or we have received complaints about speeding.

“Road Policing Officers in marked cars will be joined by colleagues on our police motorbikes, to stop and speak to riders and give advice like easing off the throttle on left-hand bends. We’ll also have Safety Camera vans in key locations and officers carrying out visible speed checks in villages across Peeblesshire where speeding motorcycles and anti-social use of motorbikes is affecting people’s quality of life.”

Police Scotland supports the Road Safety Scotland and Scottish Government “Live Fast Die Old” campaign. During the summer motorbiking season, it is not unusual to see at least one motorcyclist fatality each weekend in Scotland, and the campaign brings a mixture of advice on techniques, routes, events and staying safe on your bike.

Insp Latto continued: “We’ll be encouraging bikers to check out the Live Fast Die Old Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/livefastdieoldscotland?ref=hl, as well as our Around The Corner website http://www.aroundthecorner.org.uk – both are great resources for enjoying riding safely.

“Whilst we will be giving advice where appropriate, we will also be enforcing the law – careless and dangerous driving will not be tolerated and speed limits are in place for the safety of all road users.”