NEW figures showing the huge number of crashes on two key Oxfordshire roads have been described as 'shocking, but not surprising'.

A Freedom of Information request by the Oxford Mail has revealed there were more than 1,000 incidents in just over five years on the A34 and A420 alone.

Between January 2012 and August last year, there were 471 crashes on the A34, with nine people being killed.

On the A420 during the same period, there 595 crashes which saw seven fatalities.

The girlfriend of a man who was killed by an A34 driver on his mobile phone has called the figures has said more needs to be done.

Meg Williamson lost her boyfriend, Gavin Roberts, 28, when the car of Lewis Stratford, of Field Avenue, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, ploughed into his BMW near East Ilsley in June 2015.

Ms Williamson, who has been campaigning for better road safety on the A34, said: "It is pretty shocking but unfortunately not surprising because people have been campaigning for so long for better safety measures on these roads.

"I know the A34 campaigns date back more than 12 years for improvements and I think generally the public wouldn't be surprised by these figures - it is the reason they started campaigning in the first place."

Elsewhere, the figures from Oxfordshire County Council there were 258 recorded crashes on the M40 between junctions 8 and 11, with eight deaths, over the same period and 430 incidents on the A40 - where 12 people were killed.

Member of Parliament for Wantage and Didcot Ed Vaizey, is leading the county's push from MPs to improve road safety.

He said: "This investigation highlights the urgent need to see improvements on our main roads.

"Highways England is currently consulting on improving road safety on the A34, and I hope to see some specific announcements early this year."

Highways England is responsible for the A34 and has been co-ordinating a major safety review.

A34 route manager John Henderson said: "Safety runs through everything we do at Highways England.

"The A34 generally performs well on safety, and has fewer accidents than other roads of its type.

"Nevertheless, there have been some tragic accidents on the A34 in recent years and we recognise the concern that people have expressed.

"In October, we identified up to 16 possible safety improvements for the A34. We have had some good, constructive feedback on the proposals from stakeholders, which we are now reviewing to help decide what measures should be put forward for consideration in our future safety programme for the area. "

An estimated 80,818 vehicles passed Oxford daily on the A34 last year, 15 per cent higher than the same time five years ago, according to figures from the Department for Transport.

It is the highest since records began in 2000.

Ms Williamson added: "Highways England need to work with the public and local MPs because we are the ones using these roads as often as anybody and then cement something like speed restrictions or longer slip roads in place."

The findings of a draft review into safety on the road - ordered by the Government last year following a number of deaths on the A34 - proposed extending the 50mph speed limit already in place at Botley, west of Oxford, all the way north to junction 9 of the M40 at Weston-on-the-Green.

It also proposed average speed cameras which Ms Williamson said would be a 'starting point'.

Other Oxfordshire MPs echoed Ms Williamson's concerns including Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran who called for the findings of the A34 safety review to be implemented urgently.

She said: "I share the public’s consternation that we haven’t seen more action by Highways England since the report was published and I am actively chasing them for clarity and a timetable. Any delay means more lives lost."

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds said the figures were 'extremely worrying'.

She added: "Obviously behind the numbers lies an huge amount of suffering for those victims of crashes on Oxfordshire’s A roads and the M40.

"I know the MPs of every political stripe have been pushing for action for some time. This must include changes to the road layout where necessary as well as increased enforcement, including but not limited to cameras."