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'My biker son was killed - drivers need to open their eyes'

BBC Iain Dominic sits on a bench with a stunning view of Loch Lomond behind him. He wears a sad expression, wearing a black Honda cap and a black fleece with a red-trimmed zipBBC
Iain Dominick said he would give away everything he had to get his son back

A father whose biker son was killed in a crash in the Highlands has said he would not wish the pain of his loss on the man responsible.

Iain Dominick's 35-year-old son Ross was hit by a car in Glen Coe in July 2023.

A tourist from Spain was convicted last month of causing his death on the A82 by careless driving.

Iain said he would give away "every single thing I have" to see Ross again, but instead all he can do is try to influence road users to "open their eyes" and take more care.

The loss is still raw for Iain, but he is sharing his story to help Police Scotland reduce the number of motorbike fatalities.

He said: "I want to help police promote awareness and say to everybody that uses the road: Open your eyes, see the bigger picture and see what is going on round about you because this could be you."

"A motorist made a manoeuvre which could quite easily have been a preventable death by taking a few more seconds, being a bit more aware.

"As much as it hurts - the guy that was driving the car, I wouldn't wish this on him."

Dominick Family Ross Dominick, a bald man in a biker jacket, smiles broadly on the right side of the image, four motorbikes taking up the rest of the picture to the side of him.Dominick Family
Ross Dominick, a keen biker, was killed in 2023

Ross is one of 269 motorcyclists who died on Scotland's roads between 2015 and 2024, according to new data from Police Scotland and Transport Scotland.

The figures show that 18% of all fatal road accidents involved a motorcyclist - despite them counting for less than 1% of road users.

The highest number of deaths occurred in the Highlands, followed by Argyll and Bute and the Scottish Borders.

But to Iain, his son Ross is "not a statistic".

He said: "He is my son and he will always be my son. He will always be 35 and a young man.

"When you read the news - and all these statistics - these are real people. They are real but they are not coming back and you have got to understand that."

Dominick family Ross Dominick in an action shot riding his motorbike which is black with white and blue trims. Ross is in a full black motorcycle outfit, with a black helmet and black visorDominick family
Ross was an experienced motorcyclist

Iain said Ross was a fun-loving man who was well-loved by all who knew him.

He said: "He had so many friends - there were over 1,000 people at his funeral - and over 400 bikes.

"The impact of his death doesn't just reflect on me, his mum, his sister, his kids and his partner.

"It's a huge part of my life that has gone."

Iain is keen that Ross's legacy is one of safety - so others don't suffer in the same way.

Insp Ally Johnson, from Police Scotland's national motorcycle unit, told BBC Scotland News: "The really good weather draws people out onto the roads in Scotland.

"These areas predominantly are national speed limit sections of roads where the speed limits are slightly higher.

"There are not built up areas on those types of roads and we are just asking everybody to do it safely."