A driver described how a car exploded like a bomb going off when it smashed into his lorry killing two people.

The deaths of Mohammed Khan, 22, from Manningham, Bradford and 18-year-old Samina Hussain, from Preston, sparked a Telegraph & Argus campaign to get action to make Skipton western bypass safer.

Within six weeks of the crash in which the Rover car hit the lorry head-on, the Highways Agency had pledged to take action by the end of this financial year.

The couple's deaths had brought the total on that stretch of the road to six since 1993.

North Yorkshire PC Michael Nall told North Yorkshire Coroner Jeremy Cave that in 20 year's experience he had hardly ever seen such violence and destruction.

"The car virtually disintegrated with the force of impact with the articulated lorry,'' he said.

He said neither of the people in the car seemed to be wearing seat belts. They died instantly from multiple injuries in the crash which happened on June 16. PC Natt said the car slid broadside on into the front of the lorry and when the wreckage was checked, no fault was found with steering, brakes or tyres which could have led to the accident.

Lorry driver Stephen Dean, of Sheffield, who was not seriously injured, said in a statement the car was initially on the wrong side of the road, then it righted itself and then came across towards him again.

"It was out of control and there was an enormous impact like a bomb had gone of,'' he said.

Mr Cave returned verdicts of accidental death.

The Highways Agency improvement plans include: better lane separation; improved white line road markings; improved control of manoeuvres in lay-bys; improved signings.

The HA is also to look at removing a public telephone in a nearby lay-by which is considered dangerous because people cross the carriageway to reach it and carry out U turns when leaving.

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