A KENT woman who narrowly avoided death on the M25 is calling on the Government to tackle the danger posed to motorists by foreign lorry drivers.

Mary Rose Richards, of North Street, Barming, near Maidstone, wants Transport Secretary Alistair Darling to impose tighter checks on drivers and lorries coming into the county.

Ann Widdecombe, MP for Maidstone and the Weald, has also expressed concern about the threat to safety posed by left-hand drive trucks.

Mrs Richards and her 14-year old son, Ben, were travelling home from Dorset in heavy traffic when their car was involved in a collision with a German truck, near Reigate.

She was driving at about 60mph in the second lane and passing the lorry when she says it pulled out unexpectedly, clipping the rear nearside wing of her Toyota Carina. The car was spun around and ended up facing the lorry.

Ben pulled his mother out of the car and dialled 999 on his mobile phone. Both emerged unharmed but later suffered deep shock. Their car was a write-off.

Mrs Richards said: "We could have been turned over, crushed or thrown into the path of oncoming traffic. There was a lot of smoke."

Accidents involving Kent motorists and foreign trucks have become alarmingly common, with police reporting one nearly every day. Mrs Richards said it was time to act. "I would like to see the Government doing something about it. It's happening every day and things need to be changed."

She added: "We feel very lucky to be alive and it could have been so different. I'm very worried when I drive on the motorway and think twice when passing a lorry. "

Miss Widdecombe confirmed that she had received letters from constituents worried about the danger and had written to Mr Darling about the issue.

She said: "I do take very seriously anything that poses a threat to the safety of my constituents and I have therefore asked the minister to look into it."