A plan to get organ donor cards attached to driving licences is under consideration by Transport Ministry officials, it was revealed yesterday.

And the Island's Road Safety Council is also to consider the issue at a future meeting.

The news was welcomed by King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Intensive Care Unit manager Glenda Daniels -- who has campaigned for European-style donor card licences.

She said: "It's wonderful news that they are actively considering this.'' Transport Minister Wayne Furbert is off the Island and was not available for comment yesterday.

But Education Minister Jerome Dill -- currently Acting Premier and Acting Transport Minister -- said technical officers at the Transport Ministry backed the plan.

He said: "They are in support of providing some sort of written script on licences to reflect people's wishes on organ donation.'' But Mr. Dill said the major problem was the credit-card size driving licences currently used were too small to include a donor card.

He added, however: "They are now examining ways they can do this, perhaps by making the licence bigger.'' Mr. Dill said he personally backed the carrying of donor cards -- described by Ms. Daniels as "the gift of life'' to others.

He added: "It would be a very useful thing and a good thing to have organ donor forms on licences.'' The news came at the start of Organ Donor Awareness Week on the Island -- and the tragic weekend death of horse-rider Jason Jones, whose parents took the brave decision to switch off his life support machine and offer his organs for donation.

Mrs. Daniels said "thousands'' of donor cards had been handed out by nurses stationed at Hamilton's City Hall at lunchtime yesterday.

And he added she had been inundated by requests from schools and businesses to visit and explain the need for organs.

Bermudians have donated more than 100 body parts in recent years, ranging from hearts and livers to tiny ear bones which can restore hearing to the deaf.

Mr. Jones suffered serious head injuries after passing traffic startled his mount and he was thrown from the saddle as he travelled from his Point Finger Road, Paget, home to the Botanical Gardens to compete at the Agricultural Show.

Push for organ donor cards Yesterday, both Mr. Dill and Mr. Morton called for drivers to take more care when passing animals on the road.

Mr. Dill said: "I think the way forward is to urge people to be very cautious and to recognise our roads are used by any number of people for any number of purposes.

"The only way we're going to avoid this kind of accident in the future is to exercise extreme caution on the roads.'' Mr. Morton said: "People do need to give horses and horse-drawn carriages a wider berth.

"These are live animals which can be startled by vehicles passing close to them.'' And he added he would be raising the possibility of restricting horse-riding on roads, particularly at rush hour times, with the Council.

Mr. Morton said the Council had considered the issue after a previous road death involving a horse-and-carriage.

He added: "We didn't come to a conclusion one way or the other, but it's something we would like to explore a bit more and talk to horse-riders, carriage drivers and the general public.'' King Edward nurses will be handing out donor cards at locations throughout Hamilton this week between 12 noon and 2 p.m.

A team will be stationed outside Miles Market, Pitts Bay Road, Hamilton today.

On Wednesday, nurses will be at the city's Front Street Supermart, on Thursday at Reid Street's Washington Mall and on Friday at the nearby Annex.

GIFTS OF LIFE -- King Edward nurses (left to right) Patrice Irvine, Julie Taylor and Roslyn Simmons hand out organ donor cards at Hamilton's City Hall yesterday to kick of Organ Donor Awareness Week. The nurses handed out "thousands'' of the cards to people prepared, if they die, to allow their body parts to save the lives of others.