IF an accident in North Yorkshire claimed the lives of 21 people, we would be horrified. Ministers would come to pay fulsome tribute to the cameras. Campaigners would call for changes so it could never happen again.

But when 21 people die in separate accidents, the impact is very much diminished. The political leaders and TV crews never arrive.

Yet the human cost is equally devastating. Twenty-one families are grieving for a lost loved one, each the victim of a motorcycle accident on North Yorkshire roads so far this year.

This is an appalling toll, the worst on record. Why? There is no single reason. Each accident involves a unique set of circumstances.

There are certainly more motorcyclists on much more powerful machines than there used to be. This is partly due to the "born again biker" phenomenon, when older riders return to two-wheels many years after passing their test. As modern machines are capable of doing 180mph, this can cause its own problems.

Then there is what a North Yorkshire police spokesman has described as "a new trend of anti-social behaviour - especially inappropriate speed - among younger sports bike riders".

Meanwhile, motorists are contributing to the accident rate by speeding, failing to spot motorcyclists or giving them too little room to manoeuvre.

What more can be done? The police have conducted a summer campaign to warn motorcyclists of the dangers. It was due to conclude this weekend - when five more bikers were hurt.

Their initiative followed the Evening Press Arrive Alive campaign - which included a special edition highlighting the tragedies - and an unprecedented joint news conference by chief officers from the three main emergency services.

The death toll suggests these efforts have failed, although we will never know how much worse it might have been without such strong campaigning. All we can do now is look to the future. We must learn lessons from this terrible year and redouble our efforts to make the roads safer in 2003.

Better training and a renewed educational campaign for all road-users, plus more rigorous law enforcement, could stem the tide of tragedy. We must not give up.

Updated: 10:08 Monday, September 30, 2002