Chief constable of North Yorkshire Police Lisa Winward. during the first lockdown police checkpoints were in place and motorists quizzed about their journeys Image: Danny Lawson/PA MOTORISTS have been urged to take extra care during and after the latest lockdown after the number of serious casualty accidents soared by 40 per cent last year. North Yorkshire County Council’s transport, economy and environment scrutiny committee also heard the number of slight injury accidents rose by some 60 per cent over 2019. Fiona Ansell, the road safety team leader for the council told councillors the rise in serious casualties to 411 from 298 was the first increase in the figure the county had seen in decades.