Police Scotland have advised the following.
Now that we have moved the clocks forward an hour at the weekend, the nights will gradually be getting lighter.
The mornings for a short while will however be that bit darker, and as such can still present some danger with poor visibility, particularly if you are what we call a vulnerable road user, such as a pedestrian, cyclist, horse rider or motorcyclist. Our message is simple, ‘Stay Safe Stay Bright’, until we move right into the longer daylight hours.
Likewise the longer days usually also herald the start of the better weather, which in turn brings out more motorcycles onto our roads. Sadly more motorcycles on the roads usually means more casualties.
Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe on our roads and our patrols will be out and about, round the clock, making sure that those using the roads are complying with the speed limits and other motoring legislation.
Motorists in general should also be aware that a rise in motorcycle traffic should remind them to take that bit extra care when using the roads and keep an eye out for motorcyclists, as they can suddenly appear and are sometimes difficult to see.
Inspector Neil Hewitson of the Roads Policing Unit said:
A common cause of motorcycle crashes is the so-called T-boning of the motorcycle by drivers who either pull out of a junction in front of, or across the path of an oncoming bike to turn right. These collisions could be avoided by drivers taking more care.
Drivers should remember that motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than drivers, especially in wet conditions. A driver may walk away from a crash that a motorcyclist would not.