Neither Government or the Road Safety Council will have any success in improving the standard of driving on our roads as long as there are people like the driver of the Private car Reg. No. 28696.

At 8.23 a.m. on Sunday, January 17, I was travelling west along South Road, Devonshire approaching Bermuda Florist. I could see four vehicles travelling towards me on their correct side of the road at what would appear to be within the speed limit.

Suddenly a silver Volkswagon car Registered Number 28696 overtook these vehicles travelling far in excess of the speed limit. He appeared to lose control as the vehicle started to wobble but he eventually squeezed between me and the lead vehicle he was overtaking. One of the passengers in the rear seat of my car screamed as we were sure we were going to get hit head on.

By the grace of God a multi-fatal was narrowly avoided. I have no objection whatsoever to the driver of this vehicle killing himself but I, with I am sure the passengers in his car, do not want to go with him.

JOHN GRAHAM Flatts THE PROBLEM OF SPEEDING The problem of speeding January 12, 1999 Dear Sir, I have been meaning to write to you for some months about the reckless driving on Bermuda's roads. The recent spate of articles about the use of seat belts has finally stirred me to put pen to paper.

I am from Australia where seat belts were made compulsory at least 30 years ago. This has reduced road deaths and the severity of injuries in collisions but seat belts alone are not the solution. Seat belts will not stop people having accidents.

Australia also has random breathalysing and the legal limit is 50 or 0 if you are a driver less than 21 years old! Police do not just pull over drivers who are driving erratically. You can be tested anytime. On Christmas Eve, for example, a road block will be set up leaving a town and every driver will be tested. People in Bermuda will continue to drink and drive when there is a low probability that they will be arrested.

Another factor in almost all road traffic accidents is excessive speed. In Tasmania, where I grew up, there are now speed cameras all over the state. You do not see the cameras but several weeks later you receive a letter in the mail with a photograph of your number plate and the fine you have to pay. No excuses accepted! Speed is the primary issue here in Bermuda. I have lived in Bermuda since 1982 and the traffic is heavier and faster each year. It seems that the Police Service have been focusing on other areas of policing. As it has become less likely that one would be caught speeding drivers have been going faster and faster.

After a spate of road deaths early last year Dr. Barbara Jones wrote a succinct letter to your newspaper pointing out the simple fact that speed was the issue. "Just slow down'' I believe she wrote.

I have never been stopped for speeding but I, like many others, drove just below 30 miles an hour. I now try to keep my speed steady at 25 miles an hour...so I am still breaking the law! Since I started driving slower I have been even more aware of how fast everyone else is driving. I usually have a long line of traffic behind me but I make no apologies.

On our narrow and winding roads it is actually much more pleasant to drive slowly. I recommend that your readers try it.

I would like to point out that, during the oil crisis in the 1970s when speed limits were reduced in USA road traffic deaths dropped by one third. Are we stupid when we ask why so many people are dying on our roads? Many people in this country seem to feel it is their right to speed...because they are in a hurry to reach their destination or they are late or they just like to test their powerful engines. It is not their right to endanger the lives of other road users.

I think the UBP did not address the issue of speeding with any vigour because they feared loss of votes. I hope the PLP, with a large majority and Dr. Brown as Minister of Transport, will now focus on this problem.

Let us have some speed cameras and some hefty fines. It does not seem that people will obey laws if there is no consequences to breaking them...apart from killing or maiming themselves and others of course! DR. VALERIE JAMES Warwick A WONDERFUL RACE A wonderful race January 18, 1999 Dear Sir, This past Saturday I participated in my very first Bank of Butterfield International 10K race. I want to thank my husband Keith and friend Jan, without whose support I would never have had the courage to enter or finish, as well as everyone involved in the organisation of the races -- it was wonderful.

While all these people deserve lots of credit for a very successful weekend, I must also thank another group of very important people: the people who took the time to stand by the side of the road and cheer us on as we ran gasping by. I want you to know how much that meant to me and say a big "thank you'' to you all. I really appreciate it and know others did too. You made a difference! J. CASSIDY 60 minutes, 16 seconds and proud of it! St. George's LONG LIVE THE PLP! Long live the PLP! January 18, 1999 Dear Sir, Over the months prior to the election, I heard many comments from people. But the one that concerned me the most was the question of the Progressive Labour Party running the Government.

This I thought was very silly, to say the least, for this meant that these same people were incompetent of running their own affairs. Being a part of the people myself, I never question this for a moment. For I know that if one runs for an office, one feels confident that he or she can run that office. And when a person questions others' competence, it means that the person himself is not capable.

In reality, we manage our affairs every day, and when I look at some single parents and their accomplishments, it truly amazes me how some of them are able to balance their budget. They would be worthy of positions in any economic study.

I make these comments and observations for one reason and this is that no-one questioned the United Bermuda Party when it was in power. Strange how some of us will look at those people and put them on a pedestal.

If you look at the history of the UBP, you will see how little they did for the people of this country. On the other hand, they did a whole lot for themselves and a few of their supporters.

The UBP, being a group of merchants, took full advantage and capitalised in every way possible, stripping the people of every possible way to stretch their dollar. They ship in goods at minimum prices and jacked the price right out of reach.

I feel certain that the People's Government will truly serve the interest of the people. Since they are not merchants and I do not think they have a direct tie with the merchants, we should at least see some freedom on duty-free goods.

In the past, there were about five merchants making decisions on how much duty-free goods we were allowed to bring in after overseas trips.

These merchants shopped overseas for toothpicks ...and restricted the people (locals) from expanding their dollar. So I ask you, the reader, was this a fair and just government for the people? I say that they are right where they belong: Out of office! Long live the PLP -- the People's Government. A government by the people, for the people and for the equality of the people.

From a dream of the freedom fighters to the highest seat in the land, the PLP will reign effectively and responsibly for the people.

WENDELL HASSELL Sandys Parish PROTEST BTC RATE HIKE! Protest BTC rate hike! January 18, 1999 Dear Sir, The proposed rates for local telephone service that BTC is intent on foisting on Bermuda are so far out of line and can only be described as ludicrous. What does the average householder get now for his $22 a month access charges? One or two "free'' calls per day. Is that a bargain? Hardly. In certain areas of the US that I visit -- in the Midwest and the Southeast -- communities the size of Bermuda have unlimited local calls for the same monthly fee.

And who will most be affected by this increase? The lower income Bermudian who struggles now with high cost of housing, food and electricity. This proposal increase is, for those who can hardly make ends meet, akin to the increase in bus fares the Government slapped on the public just a couple of years ago. I know for a fact how drastic that was for some people whose only means of transport was the bus.

BTC admits that "we can reduce some of the impact of this loss (reduction in long distance rates) by becoming more efficient and maximising new revenue opportunities.'' Well, BTC should have thought of this strategy a long time ago. Isn't that what business executives are paid to do? Did it ever occur to BTC execs that, with reduced long distance rates, many more such calls will be made, thereby increasing revenues? Why not adopt a "wait-and-see'' period for at least six months -- to determine what direction revenues are taking -- before nearly doubling local rates? There seems to be no compassion by BTC for the plight of the single mother, the senior citizen, the young family and others in low income brackets or on fixed incomes.

It seems to me that BTC's long-range planning has been woefully inadequate and/or failed to contemplate the arrival of competition in the long-distance market. For this short-sightedness, the company wants its customers to pay the price. That is grossly unfair, and all of us should vigorously protest this mammoth rate hike.

SENIOR CITIZEN Wrwick WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON? Whose side are you on? January 11, 1999 Dear Sir, I just have one question for Mr. Derrick Burgess, PLP backbencher, Mr. Editor.

Whose side are you on? DR. CLARK GODWIN City of Hamilton