Seven people died in traffic crashes over the past week bringing into sharp focus concerns that the number of fatalities will increase as the holiday season progresses.

In one Trelawny collision three men died while another crash in Kingston claimed the lives of at least two.

“We can almost bet on that multiple crash,” Diedre Sinclair, statistician in the Road Safety Unit commented yesterday. “This is the time for multiples.”

Sinclair said that at this time of year people tended to travel in groups more frequently – “either family or work related.”

In addition, heavy consumption of alcohol added a serious element to the mix.

Sinclair suggested that after a social event if the driver appeared too intoxicated, everybody should “leave the car and take a taxi”.

“In Trelawny the three men were coming from a party and police reports are that they were intoxicated,” said Sinclair.

With 22 days left in the year attaining the below 300 road fatality target set by the National Road Safety Council is now placed under pressure.

Minister of transportation and works, Mike Henry, against the background of increased road crashes, this week urged caution as he expressed regret at the deaths, which included a female pedestrian along Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston.

“I am calling on all Jamaicans whether walking, riding or driving to be extremely careful on the roads this holiday season,” said Henry.

But even while the spike in road carnage draws consternation, fatalities this year is 45 below that of the same period in 2009.

2010 has so far seen 276 fatalities from 253 fatal crashes compared to 321 fatalities from 280 fatal crashes over the corresponding period 2009.

A continuation of the one-per-day death count would place this year’s final figure at 298.

Last year’s traffic death toll was 347.