Shocking figures released by police reveal nearly a third of drivers stopped on the A9 during an 11-hour crackdown were breaking the law.
On average one motorist was pulled over every eight minutes during the operation from 7am to 6pm on Wednesday.
Officers from Perth, Stirling and Dingwall trunk road patrol groups focused on the stretch of A9 between Dunblane and Inverness.
Alarmingly, of the 191 vehicles stopped, 28 drivers were reported for road traffic offences and a further 38 motorists were issued with warnings. Police found a 44-tonne lorry to be uninsured and tachograph, mechanical defects and overloading offences were also detected after 15 lorries were checked.
The drivers of these vehicles were issued with prohibitions which meant they were unable to move until the fault or offence had been resolved.
Police Scotland also seized two cars that had no insurance and attended a two-vehicle collision near Pitlochry, which led to one of the occupants suffering a head injury.
And as part of Operation Trivium, a national multi-agency operational/intelligence partnership tackling foreign national offenders who use the road networks, 13 foreign registered lorries were stopped.
In addition, officers also traced a vehicle that was suspected of carrying drugs, but following a thorough search no illicit goods were found.
PC Peter Howard said: “Thanks to this action we were able to identify and detect those committing offences on our roads, and deal with them accordingly.
“From the results it was clear to see that it is not only the car drivers who fail to comply with the law, but also those in charge of the large goods vehicles travelling across the country. This was amply exemplified by the fully laden 44-tonne lorry which was found to be uninsured.”
He added: “While the average speed cameras placed along the A9 have brought down the speed of the motorists and continue to reduce the number of road traffic collisions, there are still offences being committed and criminality taking place on the road.
“Police Scotland will continue to provide a highly visible presence on the A9, providing assistance and enforcement to the motorists where needed.”
In a separate incident on the A9, a thief stole headlights from a lorry that was parked in a layby near Killiecrankie between 9pm on Tuesday and 6.30am on Wednesday.
Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, who previously dubbed the A9 as “Scotland’s most notorious road,” described the figures as “seriously concerning.”
“The A9 is still Scotland’s most dangerous road and the fact that HGV drivers are using the route with lorries that have mechanical and tachograph defects is worrying,” he commented.
“As we head into winter it is doubly important that motorists using the route are driving with tyres that are up to standard and also have the right documentation.
“Speed has never been the sole cause of accidents on the route and it seems clear that there are other factors at play on the A9. I would encourage the police to continue with operations like this to ensure that motorists know the rules of the road are being enforced.”
Transport Scotland have embarked on a £3 billion programme to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness, following a concerted campaign which cited the number of deaths from vehicle collisions on the road.
The Scottish Government intend to dual this section of the A9 by 2025.
