Drinking and driving in Bermuda is a national pastime and, unfortunately, socially acceptable. So is speeding on the roads.According to police statistics, 76 people were arrested for impaired driving after accidents last year. No doubt, that does not represent the true numbers of those who ride or drive drunk.So it was heartening to hear Transport Minister Shawn Crockwell announcing that he will seek Cabinet approval to lower the drink drive limit from 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood to 40 milligrammes and that he will also be seeking approval for allow evidential roadside breath testing following an accident.It will, of course, only work if there is sufficient enforcement — and sufficient punishment, so as well as the police, the courts must play their part. People must be made to be afraid of the penalties and the penalties must be consistent.It was amazing to hear the Minister say that legislation was passed 12 years ago to permit the use of speed cameras, but that nothing has been done since. Apparently it was a question of cost — but what cost a life?In the UK, research commissioned by the RAC, a very well respected road safety organisation, showed that if all speed cameras in the country were decommissioned, it would be expected that 800 more people would be killed or seriously injured.Although there is to be an assessment of the financial and logistic feasibility of speed cameras, as the Minister noted the cost of the technology has come down. Even if it means installing just one or two cameras a year, there must be no going back.This announcement, coupled with the recent announcement of the Selective Traffic Enforcement Programme, are indications that, at last, there is to be a serious effort to combat the appalling behaviour exhibited daily on our roads.Deterrents and enforcement are only one end of the spectrum. Education is the other, for both adults and children. As this newspaper has stated before, drinking and driving and poor behaviour on the roads must be made to be socially unacceptable and there must be a concerted educational campaign with all the relevant agencies — police, CADA, the Road Safety Council and education — working as one.As an aside, fines from speed cameras must not be used to swell Government coffers, they must go back into enforcement or education. They must also not be allowed to be as meaningless as parking tickets.* We have started a poll on our website www.royalgazette.com: Transport Minister Shawn Crockwell wants to halve the legal limit for drink driving. Do you think it will help stop drinking and driving in Bermuda?