MORE people were killed on North Yorkshire's roads than in any other part of England, new figures have shown.

Last year there were 51 people killed on the county's roads, the highest local authority figure nationally, and 425 were seriously injured, according to statistics from the Department of Transport.

However, North Yorkshire County Council said the size of the county and network of rural roads should be taken into account alongside the figures.

On York's roads, no one was killed, but 58 people were seriously injured.

The figures have been released as North Yorkshire County Council has signed up to a national government campaign, Think! to encourage responsible driving on the country’s rural roads.

The campaign has been supported by David Warin, a retired headteacher from Pickering, and his wife Janet, whose son, Daniel, died in 1995 in a single vehicle crash when his car left the road between Helmsley and Pickering. Daniel had only been driving a few weeks.

Deputy chief constable Tim Madgwick said: “In North Yorkshire we police more than 6,000 miles of roads, much of them remote, rural and picturesque.

“It is vital that all road users know their responsibilities and drive according to the speed limits, road conditions, weather and traffic situations. We have seen too many lives lost and people seriously injured through split second lapses in concentration or sheer disregard for the road or other road users."

The county council said figures showed that road casualties, including fatalities, on the county’s network, including rural roads, have fallen continuously since 2000.

County Councillor Gareth Dadd, executive member for highways, said: "We welcome visitors to our county and encourage people to enjoy the special beauty of North Yorkshire. We want people to enjoy our countryside and our roads but we also recognise that many more drivers come to grief on the rural network with all its twists and turns and potential hazards hidden around bends."

The authority also takes road safety officers into the county’s schools to run workshops with 16 and 17-year-olds to raise awareness about hazards on rural roads, safe speeds, passenger power and peer pressure and first aid. It also runs refresher courses for older drivers and an Enhanced Pass Plus Scheme for newly qualified drivers which offers in-depth discussion on the many factors which can have an impact on driving – including the specific challenges of driving in the countryside.