THE long-running effort to reduce the number of people killed or injured on the county's roads is taking a new direction.

Motorcyclists involved in collisions are to be sent a questionnaire designed to help traffic experts gain a greater understanding of the causes of accidents.

And it is hoped it will assist in the casualty reduction strategy and encourage more motorcyclists to take advantage of Bike Safe - a scheme that aims to bridge the gap between the basic qualification skill level and the greater skills possible with formal training.

Motorcyclists involved in collisions will be asked a number of questions, including when did they pass their motorcycle test, if they have had any additional training and what sort of bike they ride.

They will also be asked to include details of their accident, such as the speed they were travelling at, external factors that may have affected their collision and whether they think the accident could have been avoided.

The county's executive member for environmental services, Peter Sowray, said: "If we can get to the root cause of a collision, we will be better prepared to take steps to address a particular problem.

"It may be that we need to look at introducing further education or enforcement initiatives or carry out engineering work to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads in North Yorkshire.

"We hope anyone involved in an accident will take the time to complete and return the questionnaire because by doing so, they could well be helping to save lives."

The questionnaire is the latest phase of Operation Halter in which the county council and police have funded and introduced increased patrols and new technology in an attempt to catch those drivers, not just bike riders, who regularly drive irresponsibly.

Sergeant Pete Mason said: "Through the questionnaire, we are not trying to blame anyone for a collision, but merely trying to glean as much information as possible that may prevent a similar collision from happening again. To assist our casualty reduction strategy, we are trying to gain a better understanding of rider behaviour and, if possible, get more motorcyclists to become involved in our Bike Safe initiative.