car or cycle towards that oncoming truck is not the primary cause of accidents in Bermuda. The person most likley to be involved in an accident is a car driver between the ages of 30 and 40. The most likely cause is inattention, not speeding.

Those are the facts according to the Ministry of Transport, but the common perception around the community is that poor driving habits by young cycle riders are the primary cause of what is a worsening level of driving on Bermuda's roads.

There is no single cause of the rising rate of accidents but there are any number of reasons which contribute to the problem.

We think the main reason is there are too many cars and trucks on the roads and many of them are too large for Bermuda. We widen roads and speeds increase. The more vehicles there are on the road, the more accidents there will be.

The Government has proposed any number of schemes to reduce the number of vehicles but few have actually been introduced. The few that have been introduced have failed. This is largely because there is no political will to deal with traffic.

The second reason is the low standard of driver education. Most people get their first experience on the roads on cycles. They have had no training and the test for auxiliary cycles is nonexistent. Riders of motorcycles take a written test but the "road test'' consists of showing that you can sit on the bike and go 50 yards without falling off.

Young cycle riders may not be involved in that many accidents, but when there is a crash involving a young motorcyclist, the injuries will often be severe -- if not fatal. They also engage in rebellion on the roads, driving any way they please and speeding as fast as they like in defiance of any "authority''. Bad habits are ingrained early and these carry over when the cycle rider moves on to driving a car. That is why you see car drivers cutting corners, overtaking on bends, failing to indicate and tailgating.

Former Road Safety Council chairman Mr. Ramadhin Smith called this week for Project Ride to be made mandatory for all 16-year-olds. This is a good start.

The Minister of Transport the Hon. Maxwell Burgess is also set to introduce testing for auxiliary cycle riders. We agree with him that it is "ludicrous'' that young people can ride motor cycles for two years before they are tested for a driver's licence. Originally that was the case because the light motor cycles were little more than a pedal cycle with an assisting engine.

Some way should be found to make parents responsible for the actions of their teenagers who are riding auxiliary cycles. Increasingly in the United States, parents are being held responsible for their teenagers.

Third, driving and speeding laws should be enforced. Police Commissioner Colin Coxall's proposals to give more warnings are well-intentioned and would have real public relations advantages for the Police Service, but it is difficult to believe they will prevent people from driving carelessly or too quickly.

The answer does not lie in raising the driving age. Young people cannot be expected to vote and serve in the military and not be considered mature enough to drive.

Ultimately, there has to be a way to cut the number of cars on the road. More scrutiny of businesses using trucks and vans -- often an excuse for a second "car'' -- would be a start. We have to wonder why hairdressers need vans. The crackdown, already underway, on people abusing separate home registrations in order to own a car should become a regular part of TCD's duties.

But it is difficult to restrict the public when Government is a major offender. GP cars seem to be everywhere, even hotel parking lots at the weekend. There is no excuse for them except to provide Cabinet Ministers and civil servants with a second car while the public is deprived. It's a disgracefully expensive perk.

If Government would get rid of most of these cars, it would reduce traffic, make the roads safer -- and set a good example for the rest of us.