TWO drivers died on Oxfordshire's roads at the weekend, bringing the county's death toll to 52 so far this year - 12 more than the whole of last year.

The first incident was on Saturday at a notorious accident blackspot on the A415, close to Cokethorpe School, at Ducklington - the fifth death on the stretch of road in less than three years.

A 21-year-old man driving a Renault Clio suffered serious injuries in a collision with a Ford Transit at about 8.30am. He died later at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford.

The two people in the van suffered minor injuries.

In the second fatal accident, at about 12.30am yesterday, a 50-year-old man suffered multiple injuries when his van veered off the A338 near Letcombe Regis, south of Wantage.

He died later at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

David Robertson, the county council's cabinet member for transport, said measures had been taken to improve safety on the A415.

He added: "Last year, a 50mph limit was introduced along the length of the route, there are go-slow signs in a number of locations, and traffic lights have been placed at the Stanton Harcourt intersection.

"I'm sad someone else has been killed on the A415. Engineering-wise you can only do so much. The road is not dangerous in itself - it's the way some drivers drive."

Police closed the road to carry out an investigation and it was reopened early on Saturday afternoon.

PC David Rose, of the Bicester traffic unit, said: "A young man has lost his life in this incident and we're very keen to find out what happened. I want anyone who saw the collision, or either vehicle before the incident, to call me."

Witnesses can call PC Rose on 0845 8505505.

Another driver was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital on Saturday with head injuries, after his car crashed on the A417, between Faringdon and Stanford in the Vale, at 11.45pm.