Confusion over road signs may have lead to the death of a 74-year-old woman in a road accident in Bicester.

Jane Bradshaw, of Princes Risborough, had to be cut out of her Citroen Saxo car by firemen after the collision with another car on the A41 dual-carriageway, near the entrance to Blooms garden centre, in Oxford Road, on April 19.

Both cars were travelling towards Oxford and the M40 junction at Wendlebury. Although there are turn-left signs outside the centre, highways officials believe that more signs should be put up to ensure drivers know that it is a dual-carriageway.

Oxfordshire County Council highways area engineer at Bicester, Colin Carritt, explained: "When the dual-carriageway was first opened, signs were installed. When the garden centre was recently extended, we did have more signs put up.

"It might be that we should take a fresh look at what is needed," Mr Carrit added.

Mr Carritt said another aid to remind drivers they were going to turn on to a dual-carriageway and must turn left would be if a section of the hedge in the central reservation was taken out.

Garden centre manager, Lee Tudge, said there was a direction arrow opposite their entrance pointing traffic towards the motorway.

Mr Tudge added: "There is also a no-entry sign to warn drivers not to turn right towards Bicester, and there is direction writing on the road surface."

He said that the company would be willing to put up more signs if it was felt necessary.

A relative of Mrs Bradshaw, living in the Bicester area, who did not want to be named, said: "We believe she might have made the correct turning but then did not know how to get to Bicester.

"Witnesses said she pulled off the dual-carriageway into a layby on the left hand side and then tried to make a U-turn across the path of the other car," the relative added.