NC500 police crackdown in Sutherland and Caithness snares more than 20 drivers
A police crackdown on poor driving on the NC500 in Sutherland and Caithness snared almost two dozen motorists at the weekend.
In total police stopped 133 cars, motorbikes and campervans during heir special patrols in north-west Sutherland and Caithness.
Of those, more than 20 were charged with offences ranging from speeding and using mobile phones, to drug driving.
In total, 13 were charged for speeding, five were charged for carrying a dangerous load, one vehicle was prohibited from continuing on the road after the discovery of “dangerous defects”, one motorist failed a roadside drug test, and three were charged for using a phone while driving.
Three campervan drivers were also given “advice” over the need for consideration of other road users.
Elsewhere, warnings were issued in respect of vehicle modifications, documents, speeding and construction and use offences.
A Police Scotland spokesperson from the Highlands and Islands Road Policing Unit said: “We remain committed in addressing poor driving standards across the whole of the Highland and Islands area and responding to issues raised by the communities that live there.
“It’s disappointing to see some have fallen below the standard expected and I would urge all drivers to think about not only themselves, but others who are using the road network and the communities that the roads serve.
“It’s also important to carry out regular checks on your vehicle to ensure its roadworthiness”.
The stop checks were part of Operation CEDAR (Challenge, Educate, Detect and Reduce) which aims to address poor standards of driving and reduce road death across the north of Scotland.