DEATHS and serious injuries on North Yorkshire roads are at an all time low with the numbers of motorcyclists killed halved last year - but councillors warn there is no room for complacency.

Fatalities dropped from 46 in 2010 to 42 last year, with 412 people seriously injured seeing a reduction of seven per cent.

But the numbers of pedal cyclists killed or seriously injured has increased from 31 to 43, a rise of nearly 40 per cent and part of an overall upward trend from 2005.

In the Hambleton district the numbers of people killed on the roads nearly doubled, from four in 2010 to nine last year but road safety officers said there was no identifiable or underlying pattern or single fact that stood out to explain this and they were continuing to closely monitor the casualty numbers.

Throughout the county motorcyclists and car passengers who are most likely to be killed and seriously injured.

The number of motorcyclists hurt increased from 279 to 294, a rise of five per cent.

This is believed to be largely due to the numbers of minor injuries and young riders on mopeds under 50cc and people riding smaller motorbikes and scooters.

In addition, it is thought this could be due to young people aged 17 to 24 learning to ride a moped instead of driving a car because of the cost.

The increase in pedal cyclist casualties is predominantly believed to be leisure cyclists in rural areas.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Gareth Dadd, executive member for Highways said the overall drop in numbers is very welcome.

“However motorcyclists continue to be a problem, I am very sad to have to say that," he said. "They still form a disproportionate part of our casualty figures and accident rates.”

“We continually try and work with our road safety partners 95 Alive, the police and fire and rescue to drive the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on our roads down and the reduction is very welcome, but there is no room for complacency here.”