improve road safety.

It does not seem that Police presence makes very much overall difference.

Drivers signal one another that the Police are ahead by flicking lights.

Everyone slows down briefly and then speeds up again. The difference in speeds is minimal and very temporary.

Solutions rest in the driving public. There are some basic problems that could be improved by some driving courses. It may well be that people who offend on the roads should be made to take courses.

There are, of course, some outrageous driving habits but some of the offences which cause a good deal of frustration are relatively minor and should not be too difficult to change. Among those are the people who double park to chat and pay no attention to the traffic piling up behind them.

Drivers who use their car horns as a greeting and not as a warning instrument cause confusion over whether or not there is a problem. Then there are joggers who jog on the road when there is a sidewalk. Pedal cyclists too often ride two or three abreast, which is illegal, without much consideration for other road users and with an attitude of "we have a right to be here too''. Then there are the moped riders who ride up on the inside of cars and trucks without consideration for their own safety. Tail gateing is so common that it is taken for granted.

Everyone has their own list but many of these things could be reduced with some public relations. The Road Safety Council needs a campaign which points out over and over again why these acts are illegal and why they cause frustrations for other road users. If we could cut back on some of these smaller offences then the roads would be a good deal more usable.

The Police are needed for major offences. Sentences for drunk driving are light compared to many other jurisdictions. There is still far too much speeding and reckless driving is obvious when people pass on blind corners.

The young people on mopeds who dart in and out of traffic at high speeds endanger themselves and other road users and quite often have major crashes but still they do not curtail their behaviour.

Education and encouragement and not Police intervention is the only way to control the roads in the long term. Since just about everyone complains about the roads there should be a predisposition to make them better. We think that can be built on with a sensible and ongoing safety campaign.