Local Highland councillors have approved the introduction of motorcycle safety features at six bends on the A939 between Grantown and Nairn as part of wider efforts to make the road safer.
PRIME – which stands for Perceptual Rider Information for Maximisation of Enjoyment and Expertise – signage and road markings have already been successfully trialled in other parts of Scotland including the West Highlands.
Five of the bends on the A939 are where serious accidents involving a motorbike have occurred including in one case where there was a fatality.
The introduction of PRIME measures has been shown to encourage what road safety bosses described as ‘positive behaviour change by motorcyclists’.
There was one death, 14 serious crashes and 21 slight injury collisions recorded on the Grantown to Nairn road with 11 of these collisions involving motorcyclists between January 2014 and May 2024.
In one of the identified locations north of Grantown the inexperienced biker was riding at 73mph.
The safety measures are designed as a series of ‘gateways’ with forward signage, chevrons and road verge markers to encourage appropriate speed, correct position on the road and minimal braking.
Members of the council’s Badenoch and Strathspey committee approved the additions at their latest meeting held earlier today at the Courthouse in Kingussie.
Two of the sites where PRIME signs and roads markings are being brought in are just north of Grantown, two other sites are just north of Ferness whilst the final two are to the south of Nairn.
Local area committee chairman Councillor Russell Jones said: “Motorcyclists represent a high proportion of casualties in road accidents, and it’s important that we do all we can to make our roads safer.
“I am proud that Highland Council is one of the first local authorities to introduce PRIME signage and road markings which will be installed on six bends on the A939 between Nairn and Grantown in locations where motorcyclists are having collisions.
“Although there is no legal requirement for motorcyclists to comply, research has shown that PRIME signage and markings are readily adopted by riders and contribute towards positive behaviour change.
“They provide a tool for riders to adapt their behaviour on approach to a potential hazard which plays a vital role in improving road safety and reducing road traffic accidents.”
The council’s road safety manager Lisa MacKellaich stated: “Motorcyclists account for only 2.2 per cent of registered vehicles in Scotland but represent a disproportionately high killed and seriously Injured casualties.
“Project PRIME is the first ever large-scale investigation of dedicated road markings for motorcyclists, addressing the specific problem of motorcycle casualties on Scotland’s roads.”
The design, installation and site supervision costs will be fully funded by the current financial year’s Transport Scotland Road Safety Improvement Fund Grant.
The installation of the safety measures is also the final part of local authority’s wider Road Safety Route Treatment Improvement Scheme that has been delivered in 2025/26 on the A939.
The scheme consists of bend warning signage, verge marker posts and markings and will now include the additional PRIME signage and markings.
Phase one of the PRIME road trials took place between 2020 and 2022 and consisted of installations at 22 trial sites across Scotland.
Analysis of over 32,000 motorcycles indicated statistically significant positive behaviour change after PRIMEs were installed across all the criteria – speed, lateral position and braking.
The scheme received industry recognition via a number of awards including the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2023.
Phase two of the project which took place between 2023 and 2025 has seen PRIMEs being installed at 35 locations on the Scottish trunk road network.
