causing death by dangerous driving poses many difficult questions for the court system.

The sentence has sparked angry reactions from a relative of Ashanti Smith, who was killed in the crash last May, and from Vivian Smatt, who was severely injured along with her two children in the same collision.

Many will argue that Berkeley is already being punished -- and will be for the rest of his life -- because Mr. Smith, the passenger in his car, was his close friend and died as a result of his actions.

That is a severe punishment and few would want to change places with him.

But Mr. Berkeley, said to have been travelling at speeds of up to 95 kph, did injure three other people and could easily have had more deaths on his conscience.

Sentencing also serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, prison sentences and driving bans are a punishment for a person convicted of a crime and some would argue that the sentence handed down to Berkeley was sufficient in the circumstances.

But sentences also serve as a deterrent to others and the sentence in this case begs the question of whether it will serve as any kind of warning to others.

The message seems to be: "If your actions result in the death of one person and severe injuries to three others, you will spend a year or less in prison.'' It is hard to know what will restore sanity to Bermuda's roads. Nineteen road deaths last year does not seem to have done it. "Just'' two people have died so far this year, but the number could have been much higher as a result of the number of near misses.

Perhaps the education campaign launched recently will help as a form of a "carrot''. But more "stick'' in the form of harsher sentences would send a warning that really drives home.

IT'S A DOG'S LIFE EDT It's a dog's life For many years now, Bermuda has required that dog owners licence their dogs.

Based on what SPCA president and veterinarian Dr. Andrew Madeiros had to say on Wednesday, it may be time to licence the owners instead.

There is no question that many dogs, especially pitbull terriers, are being bred and raised, not as pets, but as "weapons''. Not only are the dogs a menace to others, they are badly treated themselves.

Government would do well to dust off the report on animal care which was compiled for the previous Government by Dr. Madeiros and others.