Dashcam footage from the A1 in Northumberland reveals a series of alarming near misses captured over recent months. All the videos were recorded by the same driver, who has chosen to remain anonymous.
The incidents took place throughout the summer, with the driver noting that journeys without any incidents were uncommon. The footage comes amid a year that has seen multiple serious crashes on the A1 in the county, with eight fatalities recorded since the start of 2026.
Councillors Demand Urgent Action
Reacting to the footage, Bamburgh councillor Guy Renner-Thompson said: "These are just further examples of why we need investment in the A1. Each one of these could have been someone killed."
He added: "We never used to have dashcams, now there's a lot of footage. We have the evidence - previously it was only if there's an actual accident. The A1 needs to be dualled and the junctions on the old bits of dual carriageway need to be sorted out."
The call follows the death of 22-year-old Erin Bennett, who was killed in a three-vehicle collision near Felton on Sunday. Bennett, a recent criminology and psychology graduate due to begin training with Northumbria Police to become a detective, was the eighth person to die on the A1 in the county this year.
Daily Near Misses Reported
Berwick councillor Isabel Hunter said she witnesses near misses on a regular basis. "People get stuck behind and overtake because they get frustrated. People pull out at junctions because they see a line of traffic and try and nip in," she explained.
Hunter added: "Some of the junctions are far from fantastic and you have people taking short cuts through villages and trying to drive back on. You feel sorry for larger vehicles that have to sit in the middle of the road when trying to cross. I hate sitting in the middle of that road if I have to cross it."
She noted that the junctions are not up to standard, lacking lead-in or slip roads, and that driver error is compounded by a poor road network. "The Government have to do something. We've seen that poor young girl lose her life last week - there's too many. We have to do something now. Not in five years, we need something now, we need safety," she said.
Campaign for Dualling and Funding Review
The Chronicle and Journal have launched a campaign to dual the A1 following the tragedies this year. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked ministers and officials to explore "alternative ways" of funding the A1 dualling scheme.
After a plan to dual 13 miles of the route between Morpeth and Ellingham was scrapped in 2024, the Government has committed to junction improvements at known accident blackspots. A scheme has been announced for the Guyzance junction, focusing on safety improvements on the southbound carriageway.
