North Yorkshire was already a dangerous place to drive - last year 76 people died on the roads, more than any other county in Britain.

Frighteningly, that toll has already been surpassed in 2000. Terrible accidents in the last few days have left another eight dead, bringing the total killed so far to 82.

If this number had lost their lives on the railways, in an aircraft or at sea, it would have sent shockwaves across the county.

Because they died on the roads during the course of several months, the size of the tragedy can be overlooked.

The men and women of the emergency services know the scale of slaughter all too well, however.

It is their grim task to attend the injured and dying. And that has become an increasingly regular duty: on average, a person has died on North Yorkshire's roads every four days this year.

Police officers become hardened to such scenes of devastation. But they would not be human if the relentless carnage failed to affect them.

That is why they are hoping a special service at Ripon Cathedral will not only remember the dead, but make the living think hard about their responsibility as road-users.

We do not expect police officers to organise church services. It is a sign of their growing despair at the tragic loss of life that they are prepared to take this unusual step.

Changes in junction layouts at accident blackspots can prevent some crashes, as we have seen with our Close The Gaps campaign on the A64. But many more are caused by driver error.

Driving too fast in more powerful cars on busier roads is a recipe for disaster. Conditions are now worsening as the days become shorter and the roads icier.

We are all living stressful lives. We can be tempted to accelerate and overtake. But we must slow down and calm down.

That is the only way to make our roads safer for everyone.