MOTORCYCLE deaths have been halved so far this year following a hardline campaign on speeders, police say.

Thirteen riders have died on North Yorkshire's roads - exactly half the total at the same point last year.

Figures just released also show that since April 1, the number of riders, drivers and pedestrians killed or seriously injured on the county's roads has fallen by 13.6 per cent.

Road policing officers carried out a summer speeding campaign involving 1,493 hours of extra patrols on the 16 routes with poor motorcycle safety records.

The exercise was aimed at extreme speeders caught doing more than 30mph over the speed limit. So far, 324 extreme speeders are either in the legal system or have already been dealt with and 36 drivers and 14 riders have lost their licences. One motorcyclist caught travelling at 134mph was banned for six months and fined.

The force is also on target to issue the most speeding tickets ever this year.

Head of road policing, Supt Martin Deacon said: "There will be no slackening of our efforts while there are individuals prepared to risk their own and other people's lives in that manner. The bottom line is that because of us there are people alive today who would otherwise be dead."