A FALL in the number of people killed on the region's roads has been welcomed by road safety chiefs.

However, annual figures released by the Department for Transport show hundreds more people were injured in incidents last year compared to 2013.

According to the annual casualty report, 102 people were killed on the roads of the North-East and North Yorkshire on 2014 - down from 127 in 2013, but the over number of casualties increased from 9,856 to 10,441.

There was also an increase in the number of people seriously injured - from 1,209 in 2013 to 1,224 last year.

In the North Yorkshire Police area, the number of people killed fell from 51 in 2013 to 45 last year. The number of people seriously injured also fell from 483 to 461, while North Yorkshire County Council welcomed a drop in the number of motorcyclists killed on its 9,000km road network - from 15 in 2013 down to 11 in 2014.

“A fall in the number of deaths and serious injury on our roads is very welcome news indeed," said county councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire’s executive member for road safety.

“But we must never be complacent. We continue to be vigilant and work with our partners and the public in keeping our county’s roads as safe as possible.”

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick, of North Yorkshire Police, added: “Road safety is a top priority for North Yorkshire Police and our partners and we have worked tirelessly for a number of years to try and reduce the number of casualties and fatalities across the county."

In the Durham Constabulary area, 20 people died in 2014, compared with 35 in the previous year. The number of people seriously injured also fell - from 483 in 2013 to 461 last year.

Seven people died on Cleveland's roads in 2014, down from 12 in 2013. However, the number of people seriously injured increase from 131 to 152.

Nationally, the number of people killed on Britain's roads increased by four per cent to 1,775, while there was the first calendar year increase in overall road casualties in 17 years.

Road safety charity Brake believes casualty reduction targets, axed in 2010, must be reintroduced urgently to tackle the increase.

Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for Brake, said: “Hand-wringing about statistical significance aside, the reversal of a downward casualty trend that has been ongoing for 17 years does not happen by chance.

"What is absolutely crystal clear is that things are not getting better, and that simply isn’t good enough."