Two bikers killed in south of Scotland crashes

Two bikers have been killed in crashes on the roads of southern of Scotland.

A 70-year-old man died when his red and cream Moto Guzzi was involved in a collision with a car and a lorry on the A68 at Earlston in the Borders at about 12:20 on Wednesday.

About four hours later a 61-year-old man was killed in another crash involving his silver Honda VFR motorbike and a lorry on the B7076 near Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

The A68 was shut for about five hours following the three-vehicle crash in the Borders in which nobody else was injured.

After the Dumfries and Galloway accident - near the junction for Newton Wamphray - the road reopened at about 23:30.

The driver of the lorry involved in that crash did not require medical treatment.

Police said their thoughts were with the family and friends of the men who died.

The accident happened on the eve of a motorbike safety campaign being launched across Scotland.

Police have called on road users to play their part in reducing motorcycle deaths after a report showed there had been 269 over a nine-year period between January 2015 and August 2024.

Analysis showed that motorbike riders or passengers accounted for 18% of all fatalities despite accounting for less than 1% of all road traffic.

The police have launched a campaign asking drivers to be considerate of vulnerable road users, and for motorcyclists to take action against the risks.

Ch Supt Hilary Sloan said: "We don't want motorcyclists to die on Scotland's roads.

"The reality is people are dying and we need people to take action.

"Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable road users."

She said cornering left hand bends and overtaking were the most common types of collision.

"I'm asking bikers to be aware of these risks, take extra care in these situations and share this information," she added.

"For other drivers, you are more likely to see a motorcyclist on the road from now until autumn so take an extra look for them, especially in rural areas on a weekend."

Their study found the highest number of fatal motorcyclist collisions took place in the Highlands local authority area - followed by Argyll and Bute, then the Scottish Borders.