Oxfordshire will receive over £1.6m to improve the safety of two of its major city roads.

This is part of a £47.5m national investment to enhance the safety of 27 of the most high-risk roads in the country, the Department for Transport confirmed today (April 6).

The two Oxford roads which will benefit from the funding are Iffley Road/Rose Hill, A4158 (between the A420 in and the A4142) and Banbury Road, A4165 (between the A40 and the A4144).

READ MORE: 20mph limits approved in NINE villages and towns across Oxfordshire

Through this Safer Roads Fund, safety improvements will see works such as re-designing junctions and improving signage and road markings in an effort to reduce the risk of collisions.

Roads Minister Richard Holden will today be in Oxford to visit the A4158 and the A4165 and hold discussions with Oxfordshire County Council on how the improvements will benefit the local community.

The council will receive £800k for the A4158 and £875k for the A4165.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said:  “Britain’s roads are some of the safest in the world, but we are always looking at ways to help keep motorists and all road users safer.

“That’s why we’re investing £14.4 million to improve the safety of roads across the South East and this is the first crucial step to ensuring local councils have the support they need to keep everyone safe, while also reducing congestion and emissions.”

The allocation has been based on data independently surveyed and provided by the Road Safety Foundation.

The data analysed is based on a road safety risk, looking at data on those killed and seriously injured alongside traffic levels.

ALSO READ: The Oxfordshire firm named and shamed by HMRC for thousands of pounds of unpaid tax

According to Road Safety Foundation analysis, early estimates suggest that the £47.5m investment should prevent around 760 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years.

Dr Suzy Charman, Executive Director of the Road Safety Foundation said:  “The commitment and funding announced today is transformational for road safety teams in local authorities across the country.

"It will allow them to proactively reduce risk and make these 27 roads safer and more inviting for all road users.

“Systematic changes have already had a big impact on road death and serious injury, for example seatbelts and airbags protect lives when crashes happen. 

"In the same way we can design roads so that when crashes happen people can walk away, by clearing or protecting roadsides, putting in cross hatching to add space between vehicles, providing safer junctions like roundabouts or adding signalisation and/or turning pockets, and including facilities for walking and cycling.”