More and more people are expressing concern about reckless riding and driving on Bermuda roads, and while some lay the blame on Police for not doing enough, the real blame should be placed on our community behavioural patterns, and a growing lack of respect for traffic laws.Most motorists make every effort to comply with traffic rules but this is made more difficult when others move about with little regard for other road users. Not a day goes by when a serious accident is avoided simply because one person decided to give way to reckless attitudes encountered everywhere — even at traffic lights.Inevitably, this subject gets a lot of play after a serious traffic mishap. But even before the talk dies down, reckless attitudes from riders and drivers emerge again. Many motorists are even reluctant to pull over for an emergency vehicle. That in itself should be of concern to everyone. It is grossly unfair to target the Police who have their hands full in a new age of violent crime never experienced before on these shores.The Police and road safety officials have been appealing for years for motorists to exercise caution and respect, and much of it seems to go in one ear and out the other. Even attempts to shock the public with gruesome pictures of mangled victims seem to fail.Often there are calls for more stringent laws to send a message that reckless conduct on our roads will not be tolerated. After all, our tourism industry could be hurt further if there is an impression that we are afraid to tackle this problem.Making things worse is an attitude of “don’t bother me about it, all we hear is talk but no action when it comes to traffic”. Today, tomorrow, and the months ahead will see little difference in the situation despite constant pleas to drive and ride with greater care and concern for others.At the same time we must admit that technical distractions, mostly electronic, along with taking to the roads while under the influence of either drugs or alcohol are causes of collisions. Perhaps legislators should consider making the punishment for such offences so severe that at least a second thought might prevail before someone decides to break the traffic laws.There are no easy solutions to what could be described as some type of road madness. Often people will knowingly park illegally and resent being ticketed. It is this type of attitude that we need to change.It would be great if a camera could be stationed at the Paget traffic lights especially during peak rush hour periods.Almost every day a car pulling up to the red light is swarmed by cycles desperately scrambling for first place as though it was an Olympic event. Some cycles gather on the side of the road for oncoming traffic, forcing motorists when the light changes to take evasive action.It seems this has become a part of the motorised culture, which is tragic for such a small island with so many vehicles on the road. Perhaps the only real solution is to teach children from infancy on why it is important to obey laws to promote safety. That is another subject since in some cases parents are not obeying the laws themselves.Speeding is another factor that leads to serious mishaps and loss of life. Every day we see cycles ripping through traffic, weaving in and out of buses and trucks as though a medal will be rewarded for survival. If they want to kill themselves, so be it, but other lives are also at risk through these antics.The Police cannot be everywhere. We should do better, and we must do better, but not much will change without full community support.