Since the start of December, six people have died resulting from motor vehicle collisions, leaving the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to again call for caution when using the roads.

The figure brings the total deaths since January to 311, the same figure as last year this same time.

According to NRSC-member Kenute Hare, last December 42 people were killed in crashes and special effort has to be made by both the police and motorists to contain the carnage this year.

“Drinking and driving and smoking marijuana while diving is now an issue more than ever as it impairs judgement,” Hare remarked in reference to the holiday period when collisions traditionally increase.

He said that since November 30 six fatal collisions have occurred, three of which were due to improper overtaking with two of the three collisions involving minibuses.

Last week, a horrific St Ann crash involving two minibuses left four people dead at the scene, and 28 injured, according to police reports.

Allegations are that the driver of one of the buses overtook a line of traffic colliding head on with the other travelling in the opposite direction.

Hare told Auto that the deaths from that crash have now risen to seven as some of the victims have since succumed to their injuries.

In another double minibus crash in Clarendon this week a Clarendon College student was killed when a minibus hit the one in which he was travelling.

Improper overtaking was also given as the cause of this collision.

In the meantime, the Westmoreland police division has racked up 35 deaths from 30 fatal collisions since January leading the toll.

St Catherine North follows with 31 deaths from 30 fatal collisions.

Other parishes clocking above twenty deaths are: St James at 30 deaths from 28 fatal crashes; St Elizabeth with 28 deaths from 22 crashes; Clarendon 27 from 24; St Catherine south 23 from 20 crashes and St Ann 21 from 16.