MOTORISTS have ranked a rural road through the Vale of York among the UK's best for driving - but watchdogs have urged drivers to enjoy North Yorkshire's roads safely.

The A19 between York and Thirsk has been named as the seventh best driving experience in a poll of 2,100 drivers by motoring giant Honda.

Tony Lidgate, of North Yorkshire Police, said that although the A19 seemed an unusual" choice, it was a "glorious and fairly safe" road.

He said: "It's a glorious driving experience, but quite simply you cannot enjoy the road, the area and the experience if you have got your foot clamped to the floor and are driving like a lunatic."

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Councillor Peter Sowray, who represents Easingwold, said the road was "frustrating" and in need of further safety improvements.

Residents of two villages along the route, Shipton-by-Beningbrough and Thormanby, have campaigned long and hard for bypasses, citing the high level of accidents as a serious problem.

Councillor Sowray said: "The driver's experience really depends on what time he or she drives through as it can be very frustrating at times. There have been a number of nasty accidents."

Mr Sowray said that while Shipton-by-Beningbrough was on the waiting list for a bypass, Thormanby residents could have to wait longer.

The Honda survey named another North Yorkshire road, Buttertubs Pass, which runs between Hawes and Thwaite on the Yorkshire Dales, as the best driving experience in Britain.

Updated: 11:16 Friday, August 01, 2003