Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Keep Mum’s Heart Healthy this Mother’s Day
This Sunday, 27th of March, treat your mum to a luxurious, heart healthy day. It’s important for all mums to remember to take care of their own health and wellbeing, as well as that of their families. Here’s a few ways to make the day healthy and special:
Breakfast in Bed
Your mum will love being served breakfast, so pop by the shops early or make arrangements the day before. Why not serve up a tray of muesli with juicy berries, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on wholemeal toast and freshly squeezed fruit juice. Dish up yoghurt with a medley of exotic fruits such as mango, kiwi, lychees and star fruit to make the tray more colourful.
Activities Galore
An active day out is a great way to spend Mother’s Day. This could be anything from a few rounds of tennis/badminton, a walk in the countryside or a cycle in the park. Spending time together as a family is always a treat. Take a healthy picnic and make sure you do the washing up when you get home.
Stress-free Day
Why not pamper her with a home spa? Light a fragranced candle and treat her to a manicure, pedicure, a relaxing facial or a back/neck massage. Running errands, doing the cooking and the washing up is a good way for mum to have a well-earned and stress free day.
Reverse the roles this Mother’s Day by looking after your mum and treating her to a luscious, heart healthy day!
Environmental campaigners have hailed the news that plans for a major incinerator at Stonehouse in South Lanarkshire have been cancelled after sustained community opposition.
Viridor, one of the UK’s biggest waste management companies, has cancelled plans to build what would have been Scotland’s largest incinerator. The decision comes as the Scottish Government’s independent review considers the future of incineration.
The Overwood incinerator could have burned 330,000 tonnes of rubbish and would have led to a substantial rise in vehicles on the road in the area and subsequently a rise in air and noise pollution too.
Kim Pratt, Circular Economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “This is a huge victory for the Stonehouse community and they should be proud of their efforts.
“Viridor have made this decision before the findings of the Scottish Government’s review into incineration are published next month, signalling that even large waste management companies know that time is up for incineration in Scotland.
“This decision shows that the current moratorium on new incineration applications should be extended immediately and that Scotland needs an exit strategy from incineration if it is to meet its climate goals. “We need to see a greater focus on reducing waste and recycling, and we must stop burning our valuable resources if we are to bring down the consumption levels that are wrecking the planet.”
Dovesdale Action Group have led the local campaign against the project, blocking earlier plans for a similar incinerator nearby and leading the huge community response opposing the Overwood plant.
John Young, from the Dovesdale Action Group said, “The announcement by Viridor to withdraw their proposal for the largest incinerator in Scotland is testament to the strength of the campaign here in South Lanarkshire to protect our communities from the impact it would have had on our rural landscape, public health, the environment and climate change.
“This is the second time we have fought and defeated proposals for such a development.
“This campaign has raised the issues of incineration to a national level in understanding the threats such proposals have on our climate targets, recycling targets and protecting communities across Scotland. Today ‘nature’ is telling us the time has come to think differently about how we manage our waste and produce goods.
“Dovesdale Action Group and communities want to see a national policy in Scotland that reflects our aspirations of a cleaner, greener society and we hope that the national review of incineration reflects the need for change and sees Scotland take an international role in leading that change globally.”
Scottish household waste data shows that incineration rates have risen rapidly over the last decade. In 2011, households burnt 70,000 tonne of waste but by 2020 that figure had risen to 606,000 tonnes.
Over the same period the amount of waste recycled has fallen and Scotland now has the worst recycling rates in the UK. Scotland currently has six working incinerators for household waste and a capacity to burn 1.6 million tonnes of waste per year.
From Inverurie to Irvine, a further six incinerators are due to start operating in the next few years with the capacity to burn a further 1,506,000 tonnes of waste a year. There are at least four other incinerators under consideration.
This Mother’s Day mums across the country will wake up to breakfast in bed and bouquets of flowers from their little ones. But although the recognition from family members is appreciated, the fact is many working mums are being pushed to the brink.
Juggling work with family life is not easy. And working mums are buckling under the strain of a combination of caring responsibilities and the added pressures of wages and bills crisis.
Last week the Chancellor delivered his spring statement – setting out spending commitments for the next six months. But there was nothing in the Chancellor’s mini-budget to support working mums, despite the fact that recent TUC research found that one in three parents of pre-school age children spend more than a third of their pay on childcare – a staggering amount when households across the country are struggling to cover soaring energy bills.
And there are other challenges facing women in the labour market. Nearly two in five (38%) key workers are paid less than £10 an hour, and most of them are women. Around 2.5 million women key workers earn under £10 an hour.
One in 10 (1.4 million) women workers earn too little to get any sick pay. And TUC research shows that BME women are twice as likely to be on a zero hours contract than their white male counterparts.
Mums took on the lion’s share of caring responsibilities during the pandemic when schools closed. Now they’re more likely to have to take time off work to care for their children when they get Covid-19. Many are being forced to sacrifice hours and pay to do so.
And too many women are stuck in low-paid, insecure jobs with few rights and no sick pay. They deserve so much more.
5 ways the government can help mums this Mothers Day
This Mother’s Day, the TUC wants the government to introduce five key measures to help mums stay in work and support their families:
Increase the minimum wage to £10 an hour
Increase statutory sick pay to at least the level of the real Living Wage, for everyone in work.
Bring in an entitlement to 10 days parental leave per year for each child, on full pay. Currently parents have no legal right to paid leave to look after their children.
Ban zero hours contracts.
Introduce a right to genuine flexible work, from the first day in a job. Flexible working includes having predictable or set hours, working from home, job-sharing, working compressed hours and term-time only working.
Long-term reforms
But ministers cannot stop there. The TUC says the gender pay gap opens when women become mothers, which then feeds into the gender pensions gap later in life.
Government must look at fundamental reforms to equalise care between men and women. A striking omission from the spring statement was the lack of any mention of childcare.
Without access to affordable childcare many families will be forced into further hardship and many mums will be forced out of the labour market.
And the Governments evaluation of shared parental leave is long overdue.
The TUC says ministers must:
Tackle the gender pay and pensions gap. Government should require all employers to publish an action plan alongside their pay gap reporting, setting out the steps they will take to close their gender pay gaps.
Invest in the childcare sector and ensure everyone has access to good quality and affordable childcare and childcare workers are paid a living wage. TUC research found that one in three parents of pre-school age children spend more than a third of their pay on childcare. TUC research also found that over 170,000 childcare workers would benefit from a minimum wage increase to £10 per hour.
Overhaul Shared Parental leave (SPL). Around only 1 per cent of eligible families take up shared parental leave. We need an individual right to SPL for both parents on a use it or lose it basis and paid at real living wage rate.
Women have fought hard for their rights and progression in the world of work, but more than a decade of austerity, compounded by the pandemic and now the wages and bills crisis risks turning the clock back on progress towards women’s equality at work and in wider society.
If the government is serious about women’s equality then it must get serious about its policy interventions.
The majority of track has been laid to take the tram to Newhaven as the scheme enters the final phase of construction works.
More than 3km of track – 70% of the total to be laid – is now in the ground as part of the Trams to Newhaven project, which remains on schedule to begin revenue services in spring 2023, delivered within the £207.3m budget.
The main construction work on three of the eight new tram stops is also complete, while over 3km of drainage (66% of the total) and almost 4km of communications ducting (82% of the total) serving the tram and wider area has been installed.
Construction is ‘largely finished’ on several key sections of the route, other than some localised works, including Constitution Street, between Constitution Place and Queen Charlotte Street, and Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle.
Next week, operational tram stops on Princes Street and St Andrew Square will reopen following their temporary closure. These were closed to allow for the removal of the York Place tram stop and installation of new infrastructure there connecting the existing line to the new one.
As we enter the final year of major civil work ahead of testing and commissioning this winter, a review of the specific completion dates for remaining sections has been carried out.
This has resulted in some changes affecting certain sections due to various unavoidable factors such as complex utilities diversions, archaeological finds and an industry wide shortage of materials, though this is not expected to affect the final completion date.
Full details of the updated programme are available on the Trams to Newhaven website.
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s clear that the Trams to Newhaven project is well on its way to completion, as these figures show, and before long we’ll be testing trams on the streets of Leith.
“Next week, we’ll also see the return of the existing service to the city centre, which I’m sure will be great news for many.
“Of course, while this project will bring significant benefits to the area, we know that its construction has impacted all those who live and work nearby, and I’d like to thank them for their patience during the last two years.
“As we enter the final year of work to deliver the tram line, we’ve had to make some changes to the programme due to issues outwith our control.
“I want to assure communities along the route that we’re doing everything we can to mitigate the impacts of this, and that we’re still on track to begin providing the service by spring next year.”
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “This project will be transformative for the north of the city and it’s really exciting to see it take shape already.
“Once complete, it will play a key role in the future growth and development of the city. Delivering the tram line to Leith will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a low-carbon, clean mode of transport to densely populated communities.”
The project team is working to mitigate the impact of changes to the programme, ensuring the scheduled spring completion date is met.
Based on lessons from the first tram line, and best practice from other major European construction projects, Trams to Newhaven focuses on large work sites, providing the flexibility to continue construction elsewhere on-site if issues are encountered.
In the coming months, localised works will continue on completed sections to resolve defects, carry out landscaping, install equipment to support the new tram line including tram communication systems, complete tram stop fit-outs and install overhead line equipment, street lighting and traffic signalling.
Since 2019 the project has provided significant support to businesses through its £2.4m Support for Business initiative. As part of this more than £100k has been spent on an ‘Open for Business’ campaign, 60k deliveries have gone through dedicated logistics hubs and 140 applications have been made to the business continuity fund. In addition, the extremely popular itison scheme has seen over 20k vouchers sold, generating £200k spend in participating businesses.
Additional milestones:
90% of utility diversions complete
Substation at Melrose Drive complete and fit-out ongoing Lindsay Road retaining walls complete
All track crossovers, which allow the tram to turn back on itself, installed Constitution Street wall rebuilt following archaeological excavations
Archaeological excavations on Constitution Street complete, which saw more than 360 bodies exhumed, dating from between 1300 and 1650, as well as finding the apparent remnants of the original medieval graveyard wall.
Still no word from the long-running Edinburgh Tram Inquiry into the Edinburgh Tram project.
This inquiry,which was set up in 2015, aims to establish why the original Edinburgh Tram project incurred delays, cost massively more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered significantly less than oroginally promised.
The costs to taxpayers so far is an eye-watering £12.5 million …
Personal Finance Expert at CashLady.com, Paul Wilson, has released eight tips to help save money during the warmer weather and longer nights.
We’ve all been there – at the first signs of summer, we rush to a beer garden with friends or splurge on picnic supplies without a second thought. However, with months of sunshine and lighter evenings to come, it’s important to not get ahead of ourselves and spend beyond our means.
There are lots of little things you can do to make your money go further as Daylight Savings begins and the days get longer, and you’ll soon find that you can budget effectively whilst still having fun.
1. Waste less food
With the warmer weather incoming, who doesn’t enjoy a spontaneous picnic in the park? However, over-buying food can lead to an increase in food waste. According to recycling charity WRAP, the UK throws away6.6 million tonnes of food waste a year- three-quarters of which could have been eaten.
Save your money and save the planet by packaging up any food you buy and repurposing it later as leftovers.
Stick firmly to use-by dates, but for items with best-before dates, trusting your taste and smell to determine food is still good to eat rather than rigidly sticking to the dates means your food stretches further, and so do your finances.
2. Round up your savings
One of the most commonly used methods of saving money is the ‘skimming’ method, where each time you get money into your account, you automatically ‘skim’ some off the top and deposit it straight into a savings account – acting as though it never existed.
Banking providers such as Monzo offer ‘pots’ where you can deposit money into separate locked away ‘pots’ and see your main funds separately. Throughout Daylight Savings, you could set a goal of depositing spare change into savings every time you spend, and by October you’ll be set for Winter.
3. Check your taxes
The tax year officially ends on the 5th of April, just one week after Daylight Savings begins, so now may be a good time to check your tax code with HMRC and ensure you are paying the right amount of tax.
If you’ve been overpaying on your tax for a period of time then you could be due a rebate, putting money straight back into your pocket.
4. Take advantage of the long nights
Instead of running home to escape the cold and curl up on the sofa, use extended daylight hours to enjoy the outdoors. You’ll save money on electricity by not running indoor lights and gadgets and benefit from the fresh air and sunshine.
After work, why not use these long nights to walk or cycle home if possible? Make use of the improved weather and save money on petrol, whilst also getting some easy exercise.
5. Keep track of your house’s heating
The return of Spring often brings with it sudden heat waves in stark contrast to freezing winter nights. Make sure that your thermostat has been adjusted for the weather, and that you’re not paying for automatic heating whilst you’re sweltering in the garden.
You can even go one step further and ensure that you’re getting the best possible deals with your energy provider by using comparison sites such as energyhelpline.com or uswitch.com.
6. Get cheap flights Hotter weather and longer nights will have you lusting after a getaway before too long, and the temptation to book a spontaneous holiday might grow. If this sounds like you, make sure you’re getting the best possible deals on your trip by using price comparison sites and flight alerts.
Skyscanner allows you to search everywhere in the world for the cheapest destination and compare flight prices.
Making use of websites such as lastminute.com makes all the difference in saving your money for the actual holiday.
7. Dress smart
A new season may have you yearning to shop for new season clothes, but ask yourself – do you need to? Upcycling your old clothes and re-inventing your previously loved styles could save big bucks on unsustainable ASOS orders.
If you decide you do need some new styles, then try shopping in your local charity shop. Places like the British Heart Foundation even stock old Pretty Little Thing stock for less than half the original price!
8. Save on nights out
An increase in socialising often leads to spending your money in pubs, bars and clubs. There are many ways to save when out partying, for example, only take cash on a night out.
This will stop you from tapping away on your card without really adding up what you’re spending. Use free ATMs and avoid buying rounds whilst you’re out to manage your budget effectively.
Paul Wilson is a consumer finance expert at Financial Conduct Authority authorised and regulated credit broker atCash Lady.com
Pentlands SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed the package of measures announced yesterday by the Scottish Government to provide immediate support and break the cycle of child poverty for people across Edinburgh.
Shona Robison, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, announced an increase of a further £5 to the ‘game-changing’ Scottish Child Payment – bringing the total payment to £25 per week per child at the end of the year, following the increase to £20 next week.
This move will see the SNP Government’s package of five family benefits for low income families, including the increased Scottish Child Payment, now totalling over £10,000 to low income families by the time a first child turns 6, and £9,700 for subsequent children.
It directly benefits 7,995 of children across Edinburgh already in receipt of the payment.
In contrast, families in England and Wales receive less than £1,800 for the first child and under £1,300 for subsequent children.
The SNP Cabinet Secretary also announced:
· an increase in employment services with the aim of supporting up to 12,000 parents into fair and sustainable work, backed by investment of up to £81 million in 2022-23
· investment of up to £15 million in a new fund to tackle the financial barriers parents face when they enter the labour market
· immediate steps to mitigate the Tories’ Benefit Cap, which is impacting many families already struggling to make ends meet, backed by up to £10m
It is estimated that, through these and current Scottish Government actions, 60,000 fewer children will be living in relative poverty in 2023/24 compared with 2017.
Gordon MacDonald said: “This package of measures to tackle child poverty is hugely welcome and the impact it will have on households across Edinburgh cannot be underestimated – increasing the Scottish Child Payment even further, to £25 per week per child, will make such a difference to families struggling to cope with the Tory cost of living crisis right now.
“This stands in stark contrast to the Tory Chancellor’s spring statement which utterly failed to provide any meaningful lifeline support for people across Edinburgh who are facing soaring energy bills and a cost of living crisis now – and that was a political choice.
“I am glad that families across Edinburgh have an SNP Scottish Government taking serious, life-changing action to protect them where it can within limited powers and a fixed budget. The significant parental employment package also announced will help people across Edinburgh into fair and sustainable work.
“Other political parties must now recognise the reality that whilst the SNP is doing what it can to put money in people’s pockets in Scotland and tackle poverty, Westminster is consistently undermining Scotland’s efforts through their damaging policy agenda.
“These actions from the Scottish Government make it crystal clear that Edinburgh and the people that live here, would be better off with independence and all the levers to tackle poverty and hardship.”
The joy of owning dogs has remained for Lorraine, 61 from Livingston, thanks to a disability beating off-road TGA Breeze mobility scooter nicknamed ‘Daisy’.
Living near Edinburgh, Lorraine is a former support worker for those with additional needs, who owns two characterful Goldendoodles Katie and Sophie. Walking her dogs is a massive part of her life so when she started to have mobility difficulties following cancer treatment side effects, Lorraine worried how Katie and Sophie would get the exercise they needed.
The answer appeared to be a mobility scooter however Lorraine needed one that could cope with going off road in the countryside, especially in the winter. The Murieston Trail right next to her home was a favourite walk that was now not possible especially as severe fatigue was a problem. She was having to conserve energy and couldn’t risk not being able to get home. The search for a scooter with high ground clearance and good suspension led to the TGA Breeze.
Lorraine spent months shielding at home. She lost her freedom which was hard to cope with as she explains: “In 2020 my back garden becomes my world. Not anymore, I have my freedom back and I don’t feel disabled. Why should I? Cancer was a setback, but I’d say not being able to go out is a bigger set back.
“A scooter gives you your life back. With Daisy I can go anywhere, she often comes back covered in mud when we’ve been out. The Scottish term is bogging. It is so important to be able to escape from whatever is in your head. Going out and seeing things around you takes your mind off worrying.
“Being outside, hearing the birds singing, breathing fresh air, it all takes you to a positive place. My scooter makes me feel alive again.
“Before I had to choose whether I went for short walks with my husband around the shops or to take the dogs out. I didn’t have the energy to do both. Now I can save energy on my scooter and still do other things.
“I have more energy reserves. I can go out in the car knowing the dogs have had a good walk. Katie and Sophie got used to walking next to me on my Breeze really quickly, they weren’t bothered at all as it is quiet.
“What does it feel like to drive a Breeze? Well, it’s stress-free independence, accessibility and not getting tired. I can get home without worrying I won’t make it. I couldn’t do this without my scooter. If you also look at it from a safety point of view, I can get back home quickly if needed.”
The TGA Breeze is an 8mph scooter that has been involved with world record attempts and appeared on BBC Top Gear.
It is popular with ramblers who need power and stability to tackle mud, puddles and uneven ground.
This performance gives Lorraine confidence around the shops or in the countryside and tends to surprise most people as she adds: “I see people’s reaction when I’m coming along a woodland trail and they think they’ll need to get out of the way but no, no, no, I can drive around them on the grass no bother.
“Time and again they have been so surprised thinking that I’m going to get stuck, no chance with my Breeze. I love seeing their faces when I do a sharp turn into the undergrowth. They have no idea what this baby can do!
“I think the design of the Breeze is spot on, it ticks so many boxes that other scooters do not. I would add Harry from TGA who supplied the scooter was so good, no hard sell at all. He just left me to make my own decisions, there was never any chasing on the phone.
“So many companies harangue you these days and won’t leave you alone. This always makes me think they know their product is not good. It’s clear TGA have confidence in their products. When buying a scooter, it can be an emotional time for people. Often, they are vulnerable and the last thing they want is a salesman on their back with a high-pressure pitch. I had no phone calls chasing me, TGA have been brilliant.”
The future for Lorraine is looking bright as she is keen to ‘extend her horizons’. She is hoping to get a trailer for her Breeze so she can tow it to their caravan on the coast at Dunbar.
Lorraine is also pro-actively getting barriers and gates adjusted by her local council so fellow scooter owners can access the many picturesque walks around Livingston. This reflects many other initiatives across the UK including Miles with Stiles and Access the Dales – both supported by TGA.
Lorraine concludes: “Getting fresh air is so important. You can do it on a car boot scooter and that’s ok, but with dogs and wanting to go off road you need something more substantial.
“People should never look at having a scooter as a negative, there is no loss of dignity, not at all. Exactly the opposite. It’s all about finding new capabilities and opportunities.”
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed that the UK will provide Ukraine with £2 million in essential food supplies for people trapped by Russian advances
The UK is set to provide £2 million in vital food supplies for areas of Ukraine encircled by Russian forces, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed today (26 March).
The announcement comes following a direct request from the government of Ukraine, with the UK funding a rapid donation of dried food, tinned goods and water.
Warehouses in Poland and Slovakia are being readied to supply these goods to the government of Ukraine from early next week. Around 25 truckloads will then be transported by road and rail to the local Ukrainian communities in greatest need.
It is estimated over 12 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance across Ukraine, with the actual figure likely to be much higher.
This rapid donation is essential, with the window to reach towns and cities already encircled, as well as those at high risk, closing.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “This vital donation of food and supplies will help support the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia’s barbaric invasion.
“Our teams are working day and night with our Polish and Slovakian friends and the government of Ukraine to ensure those at most risk get the essential supplies they so badly need.”
Alice Hooper, FCDO Humanitarian Adviser said: “The need on the ground in Ukraine is clear, with so many people in encircled areas trapped in basements without access to food or water. Nearly 6 million children remain in Ukraine, many sheltering inside buildings which are coming under attack.
“We are working with partners at the borders to ensure these vital UK supplies reach the places they are needed most as quickly as possible.”
Access to food, water and cooking facilities for those trapped by Russian advances is becoming increasingly difficult, with people taking refuge in basements from shelling.
This latest donation comes as part of the £400 million committed by the UK, with £220 million of this on humanitarian aid.
The Foreign Secretary today announced the allocation of the first tranche of this funding, which will be shared amongst trusted humanitarian delivery partners on the ground, including:
£25 million to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR to support surrounding countries to receive and care for refugees from the conflict
£20 million to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the OCHA-managed Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), to provide coordinated lifesaving humanitarian assistance, protection and basic services to those remaining in Ukraine
£10 million to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to deliver healthcare and water, sanitation and hygiene provision amongst other support
New safety measures introduced to protect the public
Extra funding, improved signs and lesson plans for pupils are all part of a new Water Safety Action Plan.The plan has been drawn up by the Scottish Government and a range of key organisations following a number of tragic water deaths.
Partners on the Water Safety Stakeholder Group have committed to further develop partnership working to help prevent drownings and agreed a range of key actions including:
new water safety promotions targeted at areas with a higher risk of drowning, improved signage at popular locations including lochs and reservoirs and a risk assessment of beaches
additional funding of £60,000 for Water Safety Scotland to develop its co-ordination role for all organisations with an interest in water safety
roll-out of a drowning incident review scheme to ensure lessons are learned from all fatal and non-fatal incidents
lesson plans on water safety for pupils
continued development of the National Learn to Swim Framework delivered with local authorities
Scotland’s Water Safety Code developed to ensure consistency of public messages on key issues including hidden hazards and cold water shock
training for businesses and the public on how to use rescue equipment and review of 999 procedures
Community Safety Minister Ash Regan – who chaired the stakeholder group – said: “The Scottish Government takes water safety very seriously and this Action Plan includes a range of key steps agreed with our partners to further mitigate the risks from Scotland’s coastal and inland waters.
“Scotland’s beaches, rivers, reservoirs and lochs are amongst our finest natural resources, but beautiful as they are they can be a source of lethal danger and we continue to see the tragic consequences of that.
“The actions in the plan are targeted at creating a safer environment in Scotland. But whether it’s sailing, swimming, diving or fishing, anyone undertaking recreational activities in and around water must be fully aware of the risks and take every possible precaution.”
Chair of Water Safety Scotland Michael Avril said: “We would like to thank the Minister for taking a proactive approach to the prevention of drownings in Scotland. The release of this Action Plan – created in partnership with member organisations – compliments Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy.
“Today, we have published the Interim Review of the strategy and we are hopeful this, combined with the Action Plan and increased collaboration from partners, will help Scotland meet its key targets to reduce accidental drowning fatalities by 50 per cent by 2026 and contribute to reduction of water-related suicide.”
Ahead of the good weather forecast this weekend and upcoming motorcycle safety campaign, biker and deputy head of road policing Stewart Mackie has a message for road users:
Superintendent Stewart Mackie, deputy head of road policing, said: “Being a biker myself, I know the enjoyment that is gained from being out and about on your bike.
“Scotland has some of the best biking roads in the world. However my colleagues and our road safety partners are working towards Scotland also having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030. We all need to play our part.
“We’ll launch our motorcycle safety campaign next month. This will see education, engagement and enforcement take place across Scotland throughout the spring and summer months. But I wanted to reach out to you now.
“As the good weather comes along, more motorcyclists are taking to the roads to make the most of their weekends. I would urge all bikers to think of the personal consequences of taking risks when biking.
“Equally I would remind all road users that the safety of bikers and other vulnerable road user groups depends on each and every one of us.
“Around 90% of all motorcycle casualties are male and almost a third of those killed are aged 40 – 49 years. There has been a marked recent increase in motorcycle ownership and use, particularly those returning to biking after many years.
“Motorcycle riders will always be more vulnerable on the roads than car drivers. More than 85% of all motorcycle casualties happen in rural areas, during the daytime and in good weather.
“Motorcycling is an excellent way to explore the country. I want riders to enjoy their free time out and about, just as I will be doing. More importantly, I want us all to get home safe.”
