WHILE most of us look forward to a sunny Bank Holiday weekend, North Yorkshire traffic police must dread the prospect.

They are responsible for dealing with the aftermath of the motorcycle deaths which have become synonymous with sunny holiday weekends.

Last year a record number of motorcyclists died on North Yorkshire's roads. So there was a grim inevitability about the latest biker deaths.

What can be done to reduce the toll? North Yorkshire police are committed to a motorcycle safety campaign, which they launched at popular bikers' caf Squires in March. But this is a national problem, and needs to be countered with a national campaign.

More bikers died in North Yorkshire than anywhere else last year because the county is a magnet to them. Motorcyclists are attracted by our relatively quiet country roads.

But these narrow, twisting routes are also host to cars, cyclists, tractors and horses. The combination, as our pictures shockingly illustrate tonight, can prove disastrous.

At the moment the cause of these three tragedies has yet to be determined, but one reason for the increase in biker deaths may be because there are many more bikers. Five million people now hold motorcycle licences, but tellingly, the number of new bikers under 25 has dropped while the number over 25 has doubled.

These "born-again bikers" may not be used to the power of the modern machines. The Government's road safety strategy includes providing guidance for people returning to motorcycling after a break.

Ministers should consider making this compulsory, while raising awareness of the risks with a high profile advertising campaign. This is not just a North Yorkshire problem, it is a national one - and it is time transport chiefs in Whitehall recognised that.

Updated: 11:30 Tuesday, May 04, 2004