Weekend accidents fall 45 pct

The number of road accidents last weekend, which included the Clean Monday holiday that marked the beginning of Lent, dropped 45 percent, compared to the same weekend last year, traffic police said yesterday. Fatalities fell to 14 from 36. Twenty-seven people were seriously injured and another 157 sustained slight injuries between Friday afternoon and Monday night, against 36 and 287 respectively last year. Police attributed the decrease in the number of accidents (from 226 to 125) to its «En Route 2001-2005» program which focuses on more frequent policing of highways, increased breathalyzer tests and stricter enforcement of the use of seat belts and motorcycle helmets. With another long weekend coming up in celebration of Independence Day on Monday, the same measures will apply. And trucks over 1.5 tons will be banned from the highways out of Athens on Friday, and into town on Monday.