AN accident yesterday will have strengthened the case for improvements at a crossroads which local residents claim puts lives at risk.

Traffic on the B6275, between the A1 and Piercebridge on the North Yorkshire-County Durham border, often travels at speed because the road has few bends.

However, the view of Lucy Cross junction is obscured by a hump and drivers who regularly have to negotiate the crossroads say there are so many near misses the highways authority should be considering a solution.

Extra signs or a mirror to improve visibility at the junction near Aldbrough St John have already been rejected.

More radical improvements have also been ruled out because there have not been enough accidents to warrant the crossroads being labelled a blackspot.

Nevertheless, two women were hurt when their cars collided at Lucy Cross just after 8am yesterday.

One had to be cut from a Citroen Saxo and was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital where she was treated for neck injuries.

The other, who was driving a Vauxhall Vectra, was also taken to the hospital. Neither woman was thought to be in a serious condition.

Aldbrough St John parish councillor Ian Wardle said it was a shame someone had to be hurt to reinforce the argument for road improvements.