SPEED limit changes have been made to a country road after a series of accidents were reported.

The Milton Road, near Abingdon, is to have its limit changed from the 60mph national speed limit to 40mph, between Milton and its junction with the B4016.

Oxfordshire County Council said that over five years there had been two fatal accidents on the one-mile stretch, as well as one “serious” and four “slight” injury accidents.

Of those incidents, it said three may have been down to speeding.

Highways and transport officer Mark Kemp said that the new limit could reduce the number of accidents.

He said: “Following the introduction of a 40mph speed limit on similar roads [monitoring] has typically shown improvements in road safety.”

The measures were approved at a meeting in Oxford’s County Hall yesterday, chaired by county cabinet member for transport, David Nimmo-Smith.

Also approved were changes to limits on a stretch of road between Boars Hill and Wootton and to another in St Helen’s Without near Abingdon.

A 700-metre section of the road at Old Boars Hill is currently set at the national speed limit of 60mph.

But Oxfordshire County Council has said it will now be changed to 30mph.

Officers said the road was popular with cyclists, pedestrians and horseriders and so its “character” supported the change.

Also being updated is the speed limit on Barrow Road, St Helen Without.

A 300 metre stretch approaching the village, which has a 30mph limit, will now be made a 40mph “buffer” zone.