A busy main road with a bad accident record could have its speed limit cut from 60mph to 50mph in an attempt to reduce crashes.

At least eleven people have been killed or seriously injured in crashes on a 12-mile stretch of the A4421 Bicester to Buckingham road in the past five years. Another 58 accidents involved minor injuries.

Now Oxfordshire County Council road safety officials want to cut the speed limit from the Skimmingdish Lane roundabout outside RAF Bicester to the Buckinghamshire boundary at the start of the Finmere/Tingewick bypass.

Catherine Fulljames, whose county council ward includes the road, said: "Anything that reduces the speed on that dangerous stretch of road is to be welcomed. The problem is that there are long fairly straight stretches where drivers overtake and then they hit sharp bends.

"The junctions between the main road and the village turns often have poor visibility. Two turns to Fringford and Poundon are on the brow of hills."

County council principal road safety engineer Geoff Barrell said investigations showed cutting the speed limit to 50mph should improve the road's accident record.

Councillors have asked officers to provide detailed evidence to back planned speed reductions on main roads in Oxfordshire in the face of possible objections from the Association of British Drivers.

The reduced limit on the A4421 could be in place by the autumn. A 40mph limit through Newton Purcell would remain.