THE POLICE have identified St. Catherine and Clarendon as parishes having the major black spots across the island, where fatal accidents occur most frequently.
Data from the Police Traffic Division headquarters in Kingston, show that for the period January 3, 2001 to September 3, 2002, the major trouble areas or black spots (roads on which two or more fatal accidents occurred) were Spanish Town Road (in the police's St. Andrew South division), especially in the vicinity of Weymouth Drive, where six fatal accidents occurred; Bustamante Highway (Clarendon), the site of five accidents resulting in six deaths; and Old Harbour Road (St. Catherine South), where five accidents resulted in five deaths.
Statistics also revealed that in 2002 St. Catherine topped the list with 59 deaths from 47 accidents. So far this year, St. Catherine North and South have had 47 accidents and 53 deaths. Westmoreland has recorded 21 accidents and 25 deaths, while St. James has had 17 accidents and 19 deaths.
For 2002, Clarendon had 19 deaths from 16 accidents and up to last Friday, 18 accidents and 20 deaths.
Senior Superintendent in charge of traffic, Owen Ellington, said the police have increased patrols in traditional black spots and are ticketing those who continue to violate traffic laws in an effort to reduce road fatalities.
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