IN my last letter I said I hoped North Yorkshire police's Bikesafe campaign would cut the carnage of last year, but, after the Bank Holiday weekend, it seems some motorbike riders weren't listening.

After 28 motorcycle deaths last year, what have the police done to prevent a repeat performance?

Before I retired from the force last year, there was an establishment of 25 traffic officers at Tadcaster, but there was, in fact, 23.

Apart from myself, there were at least another two losses to that number, bringing it down to 20.

The logical conclusion would be to bring the department up to strength, but no, the police now have only 17 traffic officers covering the central area, and, apparently, they are to be reviewed yet again.

Does this mean even fewer traffic officers than there are now?

Let's not forget the big con of a couple of years ago when the force claimed a 47 per cent increase in traffic officers by suddenly re-designating the armed response officers as traffic officers.

Tut tut.

Motorcycle publications recently found that in nearly every police force in England and Wales, traffic matters are a low, if not non-existent, priority, and officer numbers are being reduced every year.

I know Chief Constable Della Cannings will mention Operation Delivery, and what the force is doing about crime, but how many victims of these crimes actually died?

It certainly wasn't 28, or ever likely to be.

Yes, make crime a priority, but not at the expense of road users.

We deserve to be able to use the roads safely, and the only way to do that is to increase the number of traffic officers on patrol, not decrease them, or put up speed cameras instead.

SC Bushby,

Address supplied.

...YOUR leader on born again bikers was misleading ("Act now on biker deaths," Comment, May 4). The reason most bikers are getting killed is down to the attitude of riders.

I have been riding since 1975 when you had to look out for cars. Now I cringe watching riders on the road; they show no regard for other road users at all.

I live in Whitby. Every week there's an accident. It's the only time you see a police patrol, and when they are filming Heartbeat. The traffic police have been decimated because of speed cameras and cost-cutting.

Build a motor cycle sign with a red flower for every accident on our local roads - it just may drum into motorcyclists the outcome when they ride recklessly on Yorkshire's roads.

David Smith,

West Cliff Avenue, Whitby.

Updated: 10:13 Thursday, May 06, 2004