THE Government’s national campaign to encourage people to drive more responsibly on rural roads has the perfect name. It’s a single word that says it all: Think!

More people were killed on North Yorkshire roads last year than in any other part of England, shocking new Department of Transport statistics reveal. There were 51 deaths, and 425 serious injuries.

The county council, which has now signed up to the Think! campaign, stresses the high figure is partly down to North Yorkshire’s size, and the fact we have so many rural roads – more than 6,000 miles of them, police say.

The twisty, winding nature of many North Yorkshire roads must also partly be to blame.

But if motorists just took a little more care, there would surely be a big reduction in injuries and fatalities.

The aim of Think! is to make drivers more aware, and to encourage them to drive more carefully. Think what may be around that hidden bend or the other side of that blind summit, and adjust your driving accordingly.

The police, county council road safety officers, and we ourselves at The Press, have been warning for years about the need to drive safely.

There is some evidence that those repeated warnings are having an effect. Road casualties in the county, including fatalities, have fallen continuously since 2000. But there are still far too many people dying on our country roads.

So do bear that simple instruction in the Government’s road safety campaign in mind next time you are out on the road. Please, just Think!