DEATHS on Oxfordshire's roads fell by half last year, from 2006's horrific total of 68.

But while road safety campaigners were happy to see the fall, they still believed most of the crashes which claimed 34 lives in 2007 could have been prevented. Those who lost their lives included a four-month-old baby and 13-year-old boy.

And last night the husband of Christine Diacon made a heartfelt appeal to motorists: Expect the unexpected.

Graham Diacon, 61, saw his wife die in front of him after she was struck by a car in High Cogges, near Witney, on November 15.

He said: "I would ask people to take more care. Always expect the unexpected.

"The roads are crowded. There are people and cars and bicycles - it's a very delicate balance at the best of times.

"It only needs something to go a little bit wrong and the consequences can be dire, as was the case with my wife."

Oxfordshire's firefighters launched the 365 Alive campaign during 2006 - which, with 68 lives lost, was the worst road toll for 15 years - to cut deaths by that number over 10 years.

Dave Etheridge, Oxfordshire's assistant chief fire officer, said he was delighted the figures were falling, but said the safety campaign was a long-term one.

He added: "Oxfordshire has got two major roads which run through it - the A34 and the M40. The roads have hundreds of thousands of vehicles going down them every day.

"Last year was a dreadful year - one of the worst ever recorded. This year has been much better and consequently one of the best ever recorded for Oxfordshire."

Mr Etheridge said the fire service had been concentrating on educating school children and young drivers about road safety as part of 365 Alive.

Malcolm Collis, head of road safety for Thames Valley Police, said: "Thirty-four lives have been snuffed out and 34 families, and more, have gone through the trauma of it.

Most people consider themselves a good and safe driver and think it's everyone else on the road that is an idiot.

"They have to take responsibility for their own driving and accept that it is a real skill that requires 100 per cent concentration - or you will end up a statistic."

Mr Collis said that figures for 2006 had been dramatically higher than usual, and that the toll of 34 in 2007 was more likely to be levelling out than for any other reason.

But he said: "Our figures show that of those people killed in cars who were not wearing seatbelts, two thirds of people would be alive today if they had worn one."

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardinercorr added: "The numbers are a lot better than they used to be. In the early 80s we found it went into three figures. There is quite a marked reduction over 20 years, but the only good figure is a nil figure.

"Sometimes the reason is just sheer stupidity, but it is so varied. It's often someone going a lot too fast around the bend - maybe people are not as well trained as drivers as they should be. Ultimately it's down to people. Almost none are killed by anything else, although you do get the occasional mechanical breakdown.

"An extra bit of care is really all that is needed."