A biker police officer has urged fellow motorcyclists to take extra care on the roads as traffic increases during the summer months.

Police Scotland said more than 500 bikers are seriously injured or killed across the country each year, while more than 85 per cent of collisions involving motorbikes happen in rural areas, during the daytime and in good weather.

Road policing officers are urging all road users to be responsible and keep each other safe, with a particular focus on motorcyclists, who are more vulnerable.

Superintendent Stewart Mackie, Police Scotland’s deputy head of road policing, said: “We speak to motorcyclists and other road users all year round but as the better weather arrives, there is a real focus on motorbike safety and educating all drivers.

“My plea to other riders is a straightforward one – get home safe. I have bitter experience of attending fatal collisions over the years and we must all be cautious on bends, especially left hand bends, and think twice before every single overtake.

“I understand the pleasure of being on a bike and exploring Scotland, but there’s nothing more important than returning home to your loved ones safe and well.

“Every road user needs to play their part.”

The warning comes after a 48-year-old man died near the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll last week.

The crash happened on the A815 near the junction with the A83 at Cairndow on June 20.

Earlier this year, Philip Buchan, 31, died after a crash with a lorry on the A82 near Loch Lomond.

Mr Buchan, from Clydebank, died at the scene of the collision with a lorry north of Tarbet on Wednesday, April 20.