Jamaica News, Western Jamaica: The Area One Traffic Department have reported that, with the first quarter of the year just passing by, the Area One Division has recorded a total of 34 deaths in road accidents that have taken place across all four western parishes.
Of the thirty-four (34) persons who have lost their lives, a total of twenty-nine (29) fatal accidents have been recorded across the western parishes. During this same period last year, a total of thirty-five (35) fatalities were recorded from a total of thirty-five (35) traffic accidents.
Traffic investigators attached to the Area One Traffic Office say they are now very concern about the large number of accidents which have been taking place in some western parishes.
Since the start of the year, the parish of St James has shown a rise in road accidents and traffic fatalities.
During this same period last year, the parish of St James recorded a total of six (6) road accidents which resulted in six (6) fatalities. Since the start of the year, the parish has also recorded a total of six (6) road accidents but has also seen a rise with a total of eight (8) persons being killed in these accidents.
In the year 2017, in the same first quarter of the year, the parish of Trelawny recorded three (3) road accidents, and these accidents have resulted in three (3) persons losing their lives. Since the start of the year, the parish of Trelawny has seen a large increase in road accidents. A total of eleven (11) persons have lost their lives in seven (7) separate road accidents.
The parish of Hanover has also seen a rise in road accidents and road fatalities. During the first week of May in 2017, Hanover recorded five (5) traffic accidents with a total of five (5) road fatalities. So far since the start of 2018, the parish of Hanover has recorded a total of ten (10) traffic accidents and a total of ten (10) persons lost their lives.
Westmoreland is the only western parish to have seen a massive decrease in road fatalities. At this same period last year, the parish of Westmoreland had already recorded twenty-one (21) road accidents and twenty-one (21) persons lost their lives. So far in the year 2018, the parish has recorded five (5) road fatalities from a total of five (5) accidents.
The traffic officers stated that, they are convinced careless driving and speeding contributes to most of the fatal crashes across western Jamaica. They say they are now asking motorists to proceed with caution while using the public roadways and to cease from speeding.
A total of one-hundred and six (106) persons lost their lives in ninety-nine (99) road accidents which occurred across all four western parishes at the end of 2017.
By Henry Bucknor