STRICTER eyesight requirements, training for those who use motorised wheelchairs and a clampdown on roadside memorials are among the more radical suggestions being put forward for reducing road accident injuries in North Yorkshire.

A county council environmental services scrutiny committee has presented the results of a wide-ranging investigation by a six-member research group which consulted the emergency services, primary care trusts, the Highways Agency and representatives of motorcycling and horse riding organisations.

The report on action to reduce fatal and serious injuries arising from road accidents in England's largest county was prompted by concern about the mounting carnage among motorcyclists which has hit a record figure this year.

It recommended the county council to suggest to the Government that the validity of a driving licence should be subject to drivers undergoing an eyesight test when they reach the age of about 40 and every three years thereafter, and to their following any advice received at a sight test.

Users of motorised wheelchairs are not required to take any test, but the report noted that they were often seen on the road, where they could be a danger to themselves and others. It recommended that they should have to undergo training and be encouraged to avoid travelling on the carriageway unless it was really necessary.

The report said roadside memorials, usually flowers, placed at the scene of tragedies could be a distraction and might contribute to accidents.

Calling for a county council policy on this issue, the report said a time limit might be the answer, but removal of such memorials would have to be handled sensitively. It would need to be widely advertised, possibly with a notice at the site giving the reasons for the removal.

The report called for further developments in driver education, including more emphasis on the dangers of driving when tired, a direct cause of the Selby rail disaster in 2001.

In a proposal covering both cars and motorcycles, the report said the county council should encourage the Government to consider calling for a built-in mechanical limit on the speed capability of vehicles sold in this country for road use.

If this was not possible, the motor industry should be forced to take more responsibility for the impact of its products by addressing the risks in its advertising.

Other recommendations designed to influence driver behaviour covered road markings, speed limits and traffic calming measures.

The report concluded that the best way to reduce fatal and serious injuries might be a more co-ordinated partnership approach, based on a Lincolnshire model, involving the county council, police, health authorities and the Highways Agency.

Coun John Fletcher, chairman of the scrutiny committee, said: "The examination confirmed that the council, along with many other organisations, is seriously engaged in implementing measures to reduce road traffic accidents.

"Reducing the number of fatal and serious injury accidents on North Yorkshire's highways is not just a matter of police enforcement, but a community issue where the council is an important player."

Government statistics showed that the total cost of road accidents in North Yorkshire in 2002 was £229m. This included output lost through casualties, the cost to the NHS and emergency services and the social and human consequences