CARNAGE - Central Jamaica sees 41 per cent rise in road deaths

T he central parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth have recorded a 41 per cent increase in road fatalities when compared to 2018.

Data from the Road Safety Unit indicate that 287 persons have been killed in 261 fatal crashes since the start of this year. Some 62 of these deaths have taken place in Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth.

Manchester has so far recorded 22 deaths, a 100 per cent increase over the 11 recorded over the corresponding period last year.

Road deaths in Clarendon have gone up by five, moving from 16 to 21, this year over last year; and fatilities in St Elizabeth now stands at 19. The pariish recorded 16 road deaths over the corresponding period last year.

Kanute Hare, director of the road safety unit, pointed out that poor choices on the roads, particularly by motorcyclists, is to be blamed from the carnage on the road.

"Clarendon has really started the motorcycle behaviour, picking up from Westmoreland ... they are giving the western section of the country a run for the money," Hare said.

Only Westmoreland (12) and Hanover (10) have more motorcyclists perishing in crashing this year than Clarendon (nine). Manchester, Trelawny and St Elizabeth come next with seven motorcyclists deaths each.

Only one cyclist death was recorded in Clarendon during the corresponding period last year.

For Hare, "Poor judgment, poor decision making and bad bahaviour" are responsible for the carnage on the roads. He said the motorcycle issue has been "creeping in, like a whirlwind, across other parishes".