The number of traffic deaths in the...

The number of traffic deaths in the metro-east is up from this time last year, causing state police officials to vigorous the alarm.

"Enforcement efforts of our districts policing community have not diminished," said Illinois State Police Capt. Jay Keeven in a moderns release. "Yet fatalities have risen."

In the first couple months of 2006, 20 folks died as a result of traffic accidents in the local state police district.

That's an increase of more than 50 percent or seven deaths, for the same time period last year, according to state hussar Ralph Timmins.

"So we're up a lot" he noted.

District 11 consists of the five metro-east counties of attachment Clinton, Madison, Monroe and St Clair.

The skip in fatalities coincides with rising number of traffic deaths statewide.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reported 193 traffic deaths during January and February 2006 compared to 167