A HARD-HITTING road safety campaign has the full support of international rugby star Stuart Hogg.

Stuart tragically lost his best friend, Richard Wilkinson, in a crash on a country road in 2009. The Hawick native is backing the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland initiative and has appealed to drivers in the Borders to watch their speed on country roads to help reduce the number of fatalities.

He said: "Losing my best mate Richard will live with me forever and was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through. It could have easily been me and I think about him every day and all of the things he’s missed out on.

 “I’m supporting the new campaign to encourage people to take extra care on country roads and I hope I’m doing Richard and his family proud.”

Across the Lothians and Borders, five people were killed and 39 were seriously injured in 2014, with the highest number of these accidents occurring on the A7 and A68. The stretch of the A7 between Dalkeith and Galashiels had the most accidents overall, with the A68 recording a high number of accidents involving motorcyclists.

The new advert follows a fictional character losing control of his car on a country road with devastating consequences. The emotional campaign is particularly targeted at young male drivers aged 22-40 who have a higher risk of being involved in a crash, and focuses on what they would miss if they weren’t around, with the strapline: 'Don’t miss what’s round the corner. Watch your speed on country roads.'

Country roads account for the largest number of fatal accidents on Scotland’s roads.

Last year alone, 755 people were killed or seriously injured whilst driving on rural roads nationwide, and three out of four of those were men.

Loss of control is the biggest cause of deaths on country roads, which is frequently associated with driving too fast for the conditions and leaving too little time to react to unpredictable road conditions and hazards.

Minister for Transport and Islands Derek Mackay said: “We are committed to achieving safer road travel in Scotland for everyone and clearly we are heading in the right direction. However we still have a long way to go, particularly with younger male drivers.

“This campaign encourages motorists in Scotland to drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions, particularly on country roads as there is a higher proportion of fatalities in rural areas.

Inspector Richard Latto of the Lothians and Scottish Borders Road Policing said: “The majority of the fatal and serious road traffic collisions in the Lothians and Scottish Borders region occur on our country roads. Country routes present additional challenges to drivers due to a range of factors, including changing weather conditions, inappropriate speed, poorly planned overtaking manoeuvres, unfamiliar roads, agricultural vehicles and even wildlife.

“Drivers need to be aware of the potential hazards in a constantly changing environment, and crucially drive at speeds which are both safe and appropriate to the prevailing circumstances.”