HIGHWAYS officials have confirmed they will be spending Government grants on a drive to cut the number of bikers killed on the county's roads.

North Yorkshire County Council has had some success with its recent road safety campaigns - particularly with children.

It took a year to halve the number of youngsters, aged up to 15, killed or seriously injured in accidents on the roads - meeting its ten-year target with nine years to spare.

Even though the target has since been revised, the figures are still showing a downward trend.

But the good work in one area has been marred by the number of motorcyclists killed or injured in North Yorkshire - and members of the authority's Richmondshire area committee were told this week that the highways department will be investing in a two-year police campaign to combat the problem.

Money will also be injected into other projects aimed at doubling the number of children using seat belts while travelling as rear-seat passengers.

"At the moment, there are too many five or six-year-olds allowed to jump about in the backs of cars - and it doesn't take much to imagine what would happen if the car they are in is involved in an accident," said highways officer Graham Cressy.

Recent surveys on school runs have shown 83 per cent of children in the front of their parents' cars were wearing seat belts and just 73 per cent in the back.

The target is to increase the figures to 95 per cent and 90 per cent respectively by the end of the municipal year.