ROAD safety bosses have rubbished a report labelling a county's roads as the second most dangerous in the country.

Figures released by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) show only Westminster has a higher rate of people killed or injured in road accidents than North Yorkshire.

The study found that for every 100,000 people in the county in 2003/4, 147 were killed or seriously injured and 523 were slightly hurt.

However, David Lindsay, head of road safety at North Yorkshire County Council, dismissed the report as misleading and inaccurate.

"It's the way they have compiled the figures," he said.

"They have rated counties on the number of people killed or seriously injured per head of population.

"North Yorkshire is a big area but has a relatively small population, which makes us appear to be doing worse than we are."

Mr Lindsay said the council was on course to meet Government targets and reduce road deaths and injuries by 40 per cent by 2010.

The report said South Tyneside had the safest roads in the country, with 24 people involved in fatal or serious accidents out of every 100,000.

Elsewhere in the region, everywhere was below the national average of 75 people per 100,000 killed or seriously injured.

The CSP is calling on local councils and the Highways Agency to ensure road safety is a top priority in their area.

Chief executive Phil Gray said: "It's no coincidence that physiotherapists see more people with whiplash, head injuries and nerve damage at this time of year.

"There is often a surge in accidents just after the clocks go back, as people adjust to driving home from work in the dark.

"We want to see a reduction in road traffic accidents.

"Local councils can do more to promote road safety - better lighting, traffic calming and good highway maintenance are all important in reducing the number of people injured or killed on the roads.

"Cyclists and pedestrians can also take steps to protect themselves by wearing reflective clothing so that they are more visible in poor light."