THE number of total casualties in road collisions in Ryedale increased 44 per cent between 2015 and 2016, according to new figures.

The North Yorkshire County Council’s annual casualty report, published last week, said there were 312 casualties in 2016, up from 217 the year before. It said this increase was predominantly among car users.

There was also a slight increase in fatalities. Eight people - seven car occupants and a motorcycle rider - all of whom were adults, were killed on Ryedale’s roads in 2016, up from six adults in 2015. However, the number of pedestrian and cyclist casualties fell.

And in the wider North Yorkshire county, the number of people killed in collisions fell in 2016, as did the overall number of casualties.

In 2016, 28 people were killed in collisions in North Yorkshire, down from 31 the previous year and the lowest number since modern records began in the county in 1990.

The total number of casualties fell by three per cent, down to 2,250 in 2016.

But the number of people seriously injured rose by one per cent from 399 in 2015 to 403 in 2016.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for road safety, said: “Road safety is a priority for the county council.

"We are pleased to see that the number of fatalities is falling, but every death on our roads is a death too many.

“Since 1990, we have seen a slow downward trend, with fluctuations, in road deaths in the county and we are striving to continue this trend.

“We plan investment to reduce and prevent collisions and casualties, focusing funding where it can make the biggest difference.”

Assistant Chief Constable Amanda Oliver added: “We work closely with our partners at the 95 Alive Road Safety Partnership to achieve our shared goal of making North Yorkshire’s roads as safe as we possibly can and the fact that fatal collisions fell in 2016 has been welcomed by all involved.

“However, we are mindful of the fact that every road death is a tragedy and that the number of people sustaining serious injuries on our roads rose in 2016.

“Policing the roads in North Yorkshire is both diverse and challenging, however North Yorkshire Police remain committed to working alongside our road safety partners and improving the level of road safety for all in the region.”

The annual casualty report, published on February 2, can be found at roadwise.co.uk/using-the-road/statistics