Police in the Highlands and Islands are working with US embassy officials to help get road safety messages to American visitors.
Divisional commander, Chief Superintendent Robert Shepherd, said the summer had seen a number of fatal and other serious accidents involving tourists from the states.
The news comes as tour company body, the Scottish Independent Tour Operators Association (Sitoa), revealed there has been a sharp rise in accidents caused by drivers in left-hand drive cars.
Sitoa’s chairman Sandy Bloomer said: “The figures highlight a worrying trend that is happening across Scotland, but particularly in the Highlands.”
Highland police educating American road users
Highland police commander, Mr Shepherd, told BBC Scotland News that 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.”
There were 16 road fatalities in the north division in 2023-24 – four of them on the A9, according to Police Scotland figures.
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 news comes as the number of accidents involving foreign left-hand drive cars in Scotland has risen by 258% since 2018, according to figures obtained by Sitoa.
Left-hand drive car injury collisions have risen from 24 incidents in 2018 to 86 in 2023.
In the year to June, left-hand drive vehicles have been involved in 48 accidents across the country, with four in Highland and Perth and Kinross – an area covering the A9.
In light of the rise in accidents – and the impact on those involved – the Sitoa is calling on the Scottish Government to improve road safety information for all road users.
Anecdotally, Sitoa argues the number of hire cars involved in accidents is also on the increase.
Motorists on the wrong side of the road a ‘daily occurrence’
Sitoa represents more than 200 tour companies such as Wow in Inverness, The Hairy Coo and Skye Tours.
He continued: “As record numbers of tourists head to the Highlands seeking the beauty of Scotland’s tranquillity, scenery, culture and history, vehicle access has become increasingly challenging.
“This season has seen dashcam footage of tourists forgetting to drive on the left, rental campervans coming off the road on single track routes and near-misses by drivers who are unfamiliar with our rural routes.
“On the A9 alone there has been a spate of life-changing and fatal accidents involving hire vehicles at well-known black spots along the 110-mile route from Perth to Inverness.”
Mr Bloomer believes the junctions on the route continue to “confuse drivers” who are unfamiliar with the rules of the road, and this has been “exacerbated by long-delayed upgrades to infrastructure”.
Mr Bloomer continued: “Tourism is a force for good, but with that comes a responsibility for government and industry to ensure that unintended consequences are dealt with in a proportionate and measured way.
“Sitoa and other industry bodies are keen to engage with The Scottish Government to help mitigate these problems.”
The tour operators’ call for improved road safety measures is being listened to by MSP Fergus Ewing.
The Inverness and Nairn representative wants an A9 summit, and for road signs to radically change to help improve foreign drivers’ information.
Mr Ewing said: “It’s clear that many serious road traffic incidents which result in death or serious injury involve foreign drivers.
“I have long recommended that the actual speed limits be shown – not the unrestricted speed sign which may be meaningless for foreign drivers. As a result they may simply not know what the limit is.”
A spokesperson for Road Safety Scotland said: “Overseas driver deaths are serious and of concern at any time.
“We continue to run ‘drive on the left’ campaigns to highlight the issue with international visitors who plan to drive in Scotland.
“We have made a considerable effort, working with the British Vehicle and Rental and Leasing Agency, Visit Scotland, Police Scotland and other partners to ensure we provide as much information as possible.
Conversation