Police have issued advice about driving in low lying sun conditions after it was a contributing factor to a number of crashes on the A9 today.
Emergency services attended two multiple vehile collisions this morning – the first at around 9:20am at Drumossie Brae just south of Inverness, before a second collision around 9:30am further south at the junction to Carrbridge/A938.
Seven vehicles were involved in the first collision, some being drivable with others requiring recovery.
They included a Volvo coach with 18 passengers, Ford Ranger, Ford Fiesta, Citroen C3, Volkswagen Passat, Mitsubishi Shogun and a Seat Ibiza. No-one was injured as a result of the collision with officers directing traffic until recovery was complete and the road fully open again around 11.30am.
The second collision at the Carrbridge junction involved a Volkswagen Crafter flatbed van and a lorry.
A male in his fifties, an occupant of the Volkswagen Crafter, was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital but is not believed to be in a life-threatening condition. The road was closed until around 11.30am.
Sergeant Donnie MacKinnon, Road Policing Unit: “We believe a contributory factor in the collision on the A9 at Drumossie has been the presence of a low lying sun, causing reduced visibility for drivers.
“It is fortunate no-one has sustained life-threatening injuries and that of course is the most important thing but these collisions resulted in two separate closures of the main A9 arterial route; which brought with it disruption for all road users.
“While I would like to thank road users for their patience during the closures, it is also important to remind drivers of the importance of driving to the road conditions and adjusting their speed accordingly.
“In situations of reduced visibility drivers should reduce their speed and extend the distance between them and the vehicle in front. This will not only give them sufficient time to react to what is happening in front of them, but allow then to extend their braking distance so the driver behind also has time to respond.”
