The Guyana Police Force Traffic Department recorded a drop in the number of fatal accidents by 16 percent and fatalities by 10.4 percent for the year just past, when compared with 2005.
According to the Traffic Department, there were 139 accidents last year as opposed to 165 in 2005.
There were 163 road fatalities last year, 20 of whom were children. In 2005, the number of deaths was a mind-boggling 182, among them 21 children.
Last year's figure represented the second lowest number of fatal accidents and fatalities for the past five years.
In 2002, there were 133 accidents resulting in 158 deaths, 19 of whom were children while in 2003, there were 161 accidents and 173 deaths, 25 of whom were children.
And in 2004, there were 151 accidents which resulted in 168 deaths, 21 of whom were children.
Speeding was the main contributory factor resulting from these fatal accidents. Of the 139 fatalities, 93 were due to speeding.
A number of children and teenagers lost their lives in smash-ups leaving behind loving family members to mourn.
In January 2006, four persons died in a minibus and car smash-up.
Doodnauth Khanilall, 34, a labourer of Mahaica, and Denise Fernandes-Bacchus were among the four.
The accident occurred on the Mosquito Hall, Mahaica Public Road and reportedly stemmed when minibus BHH 11 sustained a blow-out that caused the driver to lose control and collide with a motor car with a foreign number plate. Fernandes Bacchus was a passenger in that car.
More than 21 passengers were seriously injured in that accident.
March saw many accidents. Three-year-old Melody Bahadur lost her life after her father lost control of the vehicle he was driving and struck down a 13-year-old girl on the Supply, East Bank Demerara Road.
Bahadur of East Canje, Berbice, died before receiving treatment at the Woodlands Hospital .
The teen who was hit, Analisa De France, reportedly recovered from the injuries she sustained but was hospitalised for a while.
In May, six persons died following an accident between a route 41 minibus and a sand truck.
Among those who died were 25-year-old Delon Nichols, the driver of minibus BJJ 4976; Haslyn Ninvalle called ‘Patches'; Everine Grant and Lieutenant Tafari Gibson.
According to reports, the minibus, BJJ 4976 ‘Bling Master', owned and driven by Nichols, was proceeding in a northerly direction when the driver attempted to overtake a truck.
The bus slammed head-on into the truck, GJJ 2570, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
Ninvalle died on the spot while Nichols was pronounced dead on arrival at the GPHC.
The only two survivors of the Coverden, East Bank Demerara smash-up are Debra Fraser, 41, of Number 42 Village, West Coast Berbice and Cleveland Gilgeous, 34, of Supply, Mahaica.
Between November and December there were a number of fatal accidents. One saw six West Berbice family members losing their lives.
The Traffic Department expressed gratitude to those road users who exercised good driving habits in 2006 which helped to reduce the number of fatalities.