The Road Safety Council is to launch a major anti-drink-driving campaign this year after reporting the majority of road fatalities last year involved alcohol or drugs.

Chairman of the group Dr. Joseph Froncioni said it was difficult to compare Bermuda with other countries, but said both Canada and Australia had addressed the problem by taking a hard line and treating it as a crime.

He said his aim, along with Bermuda Police, was to change the attitude of drinking and driving in Bermuda in the hope that it would reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities.

At the Police press conference to release last year's crime figures, Dr. Froncioni said there had been 11 road deaths last year, in comparison to six the year before.

However, in 1998 there were 17.

He said: “Alcohol and or drugs continues to be a very big factor - one that disturbs us very much. We continue to try to deter people from drinking and driving.

“Certainly, the countries I know, Canada and Australia, have addressed the drinking and driving problem.

“Random breath testing is carried out in both of these countries. The random breath test is used as a deterrent in those countries and seems to work very effectively. The attitude to drink-driving is that it's a crime.

“In Quebec, cars are seized for drink-driving.”

Dr. Froncioni said one of the goals for the Road Safety Council this year was to launch an education programme to deal with road safety, tackling drink driving and the improper use of helmets. And a fundraising committee is to be set up to help find the financing of advertisements.

But he said the council would continue to work with the Police in targeting specific road offences with the Selective Traffic Enforcement Programme (STEP).

Every few months the Police will change their offences to be targeted, with the exception of speeding, which will always remain a priority. Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith said he believed drink driving needed to be tackled head on in Bermuda.

He said: “We have had improved driving legislation in place since 1984. But I think we are all expressing concern in the Police because of an apparent cultural acceptance of drinking and driving.

“There were nine further arrests for impaired driving at the weekend. One arrest was the result of a Police vehicle being struck by a driver.

“I still think we have some way to go before the real impact of that legislation is driven home. I think this is the reason why we work closely with the Road Safety Council. There are some opportunities for education.”

He said the Police's role was enforcement, but everyone had to recognise that it was a campaign other agencies had to be involved in.