Villagers in Marcham, near Abingdon, have begun a campaign to improve safety on an S-bend in Packhorse Lane.

But Oxfordshire County Council's highways department has said the road does not have a bad accident record and improvements would not rate as a priority.

Members of Plags - Packhorse Lane Action Group for Safety - say they are worried about the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers on the main A415 Abingdon-Witney road through the village, which is used by heavy lorries and buses.

Packhorse Lane resident Jackie King is one of the main organisers.

Last year, she was involved in a minor brush with a car as she stepped out of her house holding her baby daughter in a car seat.

Another resident Sally Timberlake said she was spun round by a car in the road while walking her dog.

Ms King said: "With the help of the residents of Marcham and the surrounding area, we intend to make Marcham a safer place to live in and drive through. In the absence of a bypass for the foreseeable future, we need immediate action to ensure that the next traffic incident is not a fatality."

Resident Amanda Rowe said it took an average of 10-15 minutes to cross the road with her two young children, and sometimes she had to put up with abuse from drivers.

She said: "It's only a matter of time before someone is killed or injured."

Plags wants more pavements in Packhorse Lane and lights to regulate traffic to make it safer for both pedestrians and drivers. The group has drawn up a questionnaire which is being distributed in the village.

The campaigners are also seeking support from MP Ed Vaizey, Marcham parish council and county councillor Iain Brown, who said: "I understand the frustration of villagers. We need a bypass and that campaign is not dead, despite the most recent setback."

The council's head of transport Steve Howell said any improvements for Packhorse Lane would be in competition for funds with other sites, which had significantly worse accident rates.

There have been five minor accidents in the past five years at Packhorse Lane.

Mr Howell said: "It's likely that Packhorse Lane will not feature highly, and would not be considered a priority for the current Local Transport Plan for 2006-11."