Measures have to be taken to improve the skill and ability of drivers and riders in Bermuda if the number of collisions are to be reduced, it has been claimed.

Enhancing training and instruction for people attempting to obtain their licence is key in the crackdown on road safety, according to both the Island's chief traffic cop Inspector Terry Spencer and Road Safety Council chairman Dr. Joseph Froncioni.

They said it was not enough to implement punitive measures, such as increased fines, or install road calming initiatives, for example speed cameras, if people were going to continue to be given licences with the most basic of tuition. Insp. Spencer said: "We need to make people in Bermuda better drivers. I have said time and time again that people in Bermuda, both in cars and on bikes, cannot drive and something has to be done to change that.

"We need to start from the beginning and alter the way people become qualified to drive and ride. "If we are to really seriously tackle the issue of road safety we have to start with preventative, rather than punitive, measures."

And Dr. Froncioni, an orthopaedic surgeon who regularly operates on road crash victims, agreed, particularly when it came to young people on bikes.

He would like to see a graduated licence scheme introduced for young people, where they are prohibited from many aspects of riding until they earn greater responsibility.

For example, they would not be allowed to ride at night for a set period of time, or with pillion passengers, until they had been riding on the roads for some time and until they had proved they could ride within the law. Dr. Froncioni said coupled with better Police enforcement, improving driver ability would slash the number of road casualties every year.

He said: "I don't think we need any more laws, but the ones we do have need to be enforced."

A number of possible solutions were put to both road safety experts, and this is what they had to say about each of them.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown was also asked to comment on each of them, but he said he would rather look at all of the ideas with the agencies and then receive their recommendations.

Speed cameras:

Dr. Froncioni: "They work very well if the jurisdiction can get over the Constitutional and legal issues, relating to privacy etc. But I think it's been shown that they do have benefits and in Bermuda there is a likelihood they would be a significant deterrent. You don't want to catch people - you want the concept to be known by all so they slow down."

Insp. Spencer: "For the most part, no, they would not work. They would increase the amount of outstanding warrants that we have. If people are going to court now and walking out without paying the fine, then what chance do you think we would have of getting them to pay if you have not actually seen them. I'm not against speed cameras, I just don't think they will modify people's behaviour. It would be better to have more Police out there."

Increase Police Traffic Unit:

Dr. Froncioni: "There should be three times more people on the traffic squad and they should be highly visible. We need to enforce the law more and we can't do that if we don't have enough people in the traffic unit."

Insp. Spencer: "It goes without saying. Having more Police officers to enforce the rules speaks for itself."

Increasing the speed limit:

Dr. Froncioni: "That would be absolutely ludicrous. If you increase the speed limit the accident rate will go up. If we increased the speed limit to 40 kph or 45 kph people would not drive or ride within it. The speed limit of 35 kph has been set by engineers because of the type of roads we have. When you set a speed limit at 35 kph, it takes into consideration that a certain percentage will go faster than that. In most jurisdictions ten percent higher is reasonable, but in Bermuda the average speed is about 50 percent higher."

Insp. Spencer: "No. The tolerance level would increase with the speed limit. People can't drive at 40 kph, so to increase the speed limit will only increase the mayhem on the roads. It would not address behaviour. The problem is that people can't drive."

Ban overtaking of buses at crosswalks:

Dr. Froncioni: "This is about a general lack of adherence to the roads. You should not talk on a cell phone or speed when there is a pedestrian crossing. This is just about a complete lack of knowledge of the rules of the road. It is down to driver safety. This is something that could be looked at, but the thing that needs to be changed is the driving habits of the road users. Crosswalks are there for a reason and they are highly visible."

Insp. Spencer: "It should be banned, but it needs to be legislated and added to the traffic handbook."

Move crosswalks away from bus stops:

Dr. Froncioni: "This is for the engineers. In my experience, these things are designed to special specifications, taking a number of things into account. I would like to take the spotlight off the physical part and I want to focus on individuals, instead."

Insp. Spencer: "We are not solving the problem - we are just moving the problem. Each crosswalk and bus stop would need to be looked at individually because they are all different and there is no universal solution."

More sidewalks:

Dr. Froncioni: "We are handicapped by physical and geographical restrictions. It would be hard to put sidewalks on the roads in Bermuda when the adjoining properties are private. But we don't get many pedestrian deaths here. In other countries they account for a great percentage of deaths."

Insp. Spencer: "Yes, it's a problem. Sidewalks would give you that margin of safety, but then on the other hand, there are a lot of people who walk and run on the road and would continue to do so. But sidewalks should be done where possible."

Speedhumps:

Dr. Froncioni: "I guess they work, but there are limitations. They are a physical obstruction on the carriageway which can cause damage to a vehicle and if you are on a bike they can be quite dangerous. They could be effective to a certain extent in some areas, but if you have too many then what will happen to the emergency vehicles when they need to get through at speed?"

Insp. Spencer: "In neighbourhoods, I think yes, but not on main roads. We want people to slow down, but we want there to be a steady flow of traffic. They could be good outside schools, where they can be accommodated."

Harsher penalties for bus/taxi drivers:

Dr. Froncioni: "Yes. These people have a higher burden of responsibility than the non-professional driver. In general, they are driving larger vehicles, which take up more room and are potentially more dangerous to other road users. It's vital they don't break the law."

Insp. Spencer: "This is an issue that should be dealt with by TCD. They should be held accountable for their actions when they break the law and they are driving vehicles full of passengers. Yes, there should be harsher penalties because they are professional drivers."

Greater speeding fines:

Dr. Froncioni: "There is not enough manpower to stop people. I'm happy with the fines in place, but we don't have enough enforcement."

Insp. Spencer: "The disqualification for speeding should come at a lower speed, not at 70kph, which is what it is now. And once a licence has been taken, we should consider re-testing people in order for them to get their licence back. People should also be banned from all vehicles, not just the type they broke the law in."

Harsher drink driving penalties:

Dr. Froncioni: "Yes. We need to make drink driving a criminal offence. We have to stop accepting it as the norm."

Insp. Spencer: "The fine does not work, but the period of disqualification does. I think the fines are stringent enough, but we need legislation so we can do random testing at the side of the road, because not only would it serve as a deterrent, but it would be encouragement for officers out on the street."

More public transport at night:

Dr. Froncioni: "We ask people not to drink and drive, so they need some way to get from A to B. There should be easy access to alternative transportation at all times, but especially when people are socialising and alcohol is involved."

Insp. Spencer: "Yes. Having the buses going on until at least 3.30 a.m. when people come out of the clubs, would help. It would reduce drink driving. Night ferries is another idea that could be further considered."

Ban hand held cell phones in cars for hands free, instead:

Dr. Froncioni: "The Road Safety Council said use of cell phones while driving should not be made an offence. They are only one of many distractions in a vehicle and when you rank them they come down the list. There is no question that they are distractions, but so is talking to a passenger, crying children and watching something out of a window. In the UK there is no special law, but they have a special section in the traffic handbook about distractions. We will be changing ours to include that, and we have recommended that the Police report forms include a section on distractions. For that reason, there is no difference between hands free and hand held phones. They are all distractions."

Insp. Spencer: "Both take away from the concentration of driving. I'm not in favour of either."

Education campaign:

Dr. Froncioni: "Yes, it would help enormously, but we need money. Education on prevention has been shown to be very effective."

Insp. Spencer: "Definitely. There is a big void on this Island regarding driver education. It needs to start in the middle schools and needs to include a television, radio and newspaper campaign. It also needs to include civilian instructors at TCD being certified."

Bad driver hotline:

Dr. Froncioni: "Not an idea I find appealing. It would be your word against his and the line would have to be manned all the time."

Insp. Spencer: "Yes, it could work, but people would have to be willing to follow through and give evidence in court. It could also be abused by people simply calling to be malicious."

Points added to licence:

Dr. Froncioni: "The Road Safety Council is very much in favour of a demerit point system, similar to other jurisdictions, where points are given or taken away every time a traffic offence is committed. When a driver reaches the limit, they lose their licence. It would be a very good deterrent."

Insp. Spencer: "I am definitely in favour of that. It would be a great deterrent to abide by the law."

Graduated licence scheme:

Dr. Froncioni: "The Road Safety Council is in favour of a graduated licence scheme, so young people have to earn privileges on the road, for example riding after dark or after a certain hour, and taking passengers. If they break the law then they don't earn those privileges, or they lose them. This is used in other jurisdictions."

Insp. Spencer: "Yes, definitely. It would change the mindset that getting a licence is a privilege and not a right. It would give people a chance to get used to the road and people would have to reach a certain standard and abide by the law in order to move up to the next level."