EVERY motorist using Oxfordshire’s rural A-roads should take a long hard look at their driving after reading our front page story.

The safety of the A420, the busy road linking Oxford and Swindon, has been thrown into the spotlight after a recent tragic accident.

For those who use the road regularly it is all too easy to nod in agreement.

On top of the all-too-frequent crashes, near-misses and acts of motoring madness are witnessed on a daily basis.

Safety measures may help, but carried out incorrectly, “calming” can simply add frustration and increase the danger.

What needs to happen is for every driver to take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others.

You may not have been involved in a crash, but how many who use the roads can say they have never driven irresponsibly?

Speeding, foolish overtaking, swerving past those slowing to turn left, talking on a mobile phone or even grabbing a sandwich are just a few of the transgressions seen.

But we find a way of justifying it.

The excuse is always “need to get home” or “late for work”, but the bottom line is two people are killed every year on this road.

Of course, not all crashes are due to driver error or behaviour.

But given the fact that fatal accidents can happen even when you’re driving well, don’t increase the risk by driving like a fool.