Police said 90 persons lost their lives in road accidents for the period January 1 to September 30, 2018, representing an increase from last year.

According to official statistics released by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday, the Traffic Department has recorded, at the end of September 2018, a 5.7 per cent decrease in fatal accidents and an 11.7 per cent decrease in deaths.

“Our enforcement is continuous countrywide with special emphasis on driving under the Influence of alcohol, speeding, music/ breach of condition of road service licence, overloaded minibuses, use of cellular phones, using vehicle other than licensed for (private hire) and failure to wear safety helmet,” the Traffic Department noted. “The Traffic Department continues its lecture to schools programme; also visible patrols at school areas to ensure the safety of school children.”

Speeding is the number one cause of fatal accidents on Guyana’s roadways, according to the statistics.

Of the total fatal accidents, 36 were as a result of speeding; 16 due to inattentiveness; 12 due to driving under the influence of alcohol; 8 because of pedestrian crossing in the path of an approaching vehicle; and 1 for failure to conform to road signs.

There was a recorded 21,910 instances of speeding and 2,456 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol.