READERS are rushing to back the Evening Press's Close The Gaps campaign to shut crossing points on the A64 between York and Tadcaster.

Among those who have already returned coupons pledging their support for the campaign is John Handley, of Askham Bryan, near York, who had a near miss 15 months ago at a crossing point which has been the scene of two fatal accidents this year.

"On this particular dark, winter morning, I was approaching Colton Lane End and was in the outside lane travelling towards Leeds at about 70mph overtaking a car when I was faced with a 40ft articulated lorry which had come out of Colton Lane End to turn right.

"The vehicle was straddled across 1 lanes of the A64 and, without the prompt action of the driver of the car I was overtaking, I would certainly have ended up being killed."

Mr Handley added: "The other driver realised the danger of the situation and braked very quickly, enabling me to cut back to the inside lane and Colton Lane End and I just avoided ending up under the vehicle."

On Monday, February 16, Margaret Green, from Aberford, near Leeds, died after her Vauxhall Astra collided with the rear of a lorry waiting in the central reservation to complete a right turn from Colton Lane End on to the York-bound carriageway.

Despite police calls to close the gaps, the Highways Agency has said doing so would prevent agricultural vehicles crossing the road - forcing slow-moving traffic to drive to Tadcaster or the Askham Bryan/Copmanthorpe interchange before turning round.

Linda, Christopher, David and Martin Scott, of Slingsby Grove, off Tadcaster Road, York, stated: "As a family who are regular users of the A64 York to Tadcaster road, we fully support the campaign to Close The Gaps.

"We have all witnessed dangerous manoeuvres and near-misses when drivers try to cross the gaps in the central reservations.

"A few more minutes of people's time and the cost of a little more fuel to drive to the flyovers at Copmanthorpe or Tadcaster is a small price to pay to make the A64 safer."

Another notorious gap at Bramham Crossroads, the junction of the A64 and the A1 near Tadcaster, will close for good when a new interchange forming part of the A1-M1 link road scheme is completed in April, 1999.

Measures introduced in recent years, including electronic signs warning drivers of vehicles crossing the A64 ahead of them, have helped reduce the carnage at what was one of North Yorkshire's worst accident blackspots.

* Completed coupons and details of your personal experiences of the dangers of the A64 should be returned to Newsdesk, The Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 1YN, by first post on Friday, March 6.

They will be handed to Selby MP John Grogan before he meets the Highways Agency, local councillors and the police that evening.

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