"zero tolerance'' approach more like tough New York Mayor Rudi Guliani.

Shadow Minister of Legislative Affairs John Barritt said an urgent change in attitude was needed, particularly among Bermuda's youths, to stop careless driving from leading to road deaths.

But Government MPs repeatedly taunted him during his remarks in the House of Assembly on Monday night accusing him of simply trying to win headlines.

And Transport Minister Ewart Brown said the Road Safety Council was already considering some "creative solutions'' including tougher penalties, particularly for offences like impaired driving.

"We expect in the next session of the house that there will be some discussion and possibly legislation on these issues,'' he said.

Mr. Barritt pointed to Mr. Guliani's latest plan to impound drunk drivers' cars rather than just giving them a "slap on the wrist'' fine.

The Mayor has garnered fame around the world for slashing the crime rate in New York drastically over the past few years by adopting a tough stance on even petty offences. Mr. Barritt said he felt duty-bound to make his comments after witnessing two episodes of careless driving on the weekend.

He complained that he had to move out of the way of a motorcycle driver who came on to the footpath and a short time later he witnessed another driver reverse the wrong way up a one-way street.

He suggested a heavier Police presence on the street and fines handed out automatically for all traffic offences, no matter how trivial.

"Perhaps also the speeding penalties could be increased. Perhaps the time may have come to review the penalties for second or repeat offenders.'' "Some people might ask what is the big deal about things like double parking,'' he said. "It's the attitude we're going to have to address and curb -- the lack of due care. Look at New York city mayor Rudi Guliani.

"He started with the little things and has improved the crime rate and achieved a complete attitudinal shift.'' But Government MP Wayne Perinchief -- a former assistant Police Commissioner -- said Mr. Barritt had failed to say what had caused the problem. He said the slack attitude grew under the UBP reign after former Police Commissioner Colin Coxall disbanded a unit of Police charged with handing out traffic fines to stop the general population feeling "over ticketed''.

"The result of that was bad habits proliferating today,'' he said.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon sprang to the defence of Mr. Barritt.

She said Police resources had had to be reallocated since the community was more concerned about drugs and crime at the time than traffic offenders.