Farmers will be targeted in an attempt to improve the safety of one of the country’s most dangerous roads.
The A947 Aberdeen to Banff route has been the scene of a series of serious car crashes in recent years.
Now Aberdeenshire Council bosses are exploring measures to prevent further deaths and are seeking the views of farmers and agricultural workers who account for a large proportion of the traffic.
Mark Skilling, the officer overseeing the 20-year strategy to improve the A947, said: “One of the difficulties we have in roads is justifying the money we will spend here.
“Part of this process for the next few months is to make the most robust business case we can. And one of the groups we need to get a much better hold on is the farming community.
“Having that in place is key, I think, in bringing this road up to a standard it deserves.”
Sandy Duncan, a farmer who lives in Turriff and regularly uses the road, has welcomed the opportunity to have his say.
He said: “One of the issues as far as farmers are concerned is that if you’re on that road with a tractor or slow moving vehicle there are not many opportunities to pull in to let traffic get past.
“Some of the places that are there aren’t actually long enough, and they’re sited in the wrong places, too. If you slow down in a tractor it can take you a while to get your momentum again.
“What I’d like to see are some overtaking lanes to let traffic flow more freely. It’s frustration that leads other drivers to overtake where it isn’t safe.”
At this week’s meeting of the Banff and Buchan area committee, chairman John Cox said it was important to engage all road users before making a case for any route improvements.
Fellow councillor Iain Gray added: “There is a huge need for an upgrade on parts of this road. But it’s not only tractors (that are the problem), it’s heavy good vehicles as well. There is a need for overtaking lanes.”
The Press and Journal revealed earlier this month that fatalities on the route have cost the region £16million in the last five years alone.
The figure takes into account factors such as the grief and suffering caused to victims’ families, injury, medical and insurance costs, damage to vehicles and property and the cost to emergency services.
In comparison, the average cost of installing a layby for slow-moving vehicles to ease congestion is £45,000.