Collisions: 40 People A Week Needed Treatment

November 17, 2016

Approximately 40 people a week needed hospital treatment due to road collisions, new figures for October reveal.

“This is such a mind numbing number. One would hope that with the number of collisions, many quite serious in nature, that we have on our roads attitudes would change, but sadly this is not occurring,” said Erica Rance Mill, the chairwoman of the Bermuda Road Safety Council [RSC]

Figures released by the Bermuda Hospitals Board to the RSC show that from January 1 this year to the end of October, 1,411 people required emergency room treatment as a result of a road collision – an increase of 160 over the figure up to the end of September.

BHB Road Traffic Accident Stats poster to 31Oct2016

At the end of September 126 people required treatment in the acute care wing – by the end of last month that figure had increased to 140, another 16 people.

Twenty-three people required treatment in the intensive care unit at the end of September. That number increased to 29 at the end of October.

“We shared these numbers with the public last month and will continue to share them until the message hits home, and we see a decline,” said Mrs Rance Mill.

She added: “The fact that Government has pledged to introduce roadside sobriety tests and speed cameras next year is a step in the right direction and I look forward to seeing that happen.

“This will not prevent all collisions from occurring, but hopefully these measures will assist in seeing a decline.

“These measures are punitive in nature but we would also hope that personal responsibility at some point becomes the main reason in a decline in numbers. Education is key and so is consistent messaging.

“People must take responsibility for their own actions. The figures outlined here are for people aged 18 and older, so these are adults.

“On the Road Safety Council’s Facebook page, we have been consistently using #arrivealive, maybe we should also use #arriveuninjured.”

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Category: Accidents and fires, All, News

Comments (13)

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  1. San George says:

    This represents 3% of registered vehicles on the road as per the Bermuda Government’s own statistics. If 3% is alarming, what should the percentage be? Do tell!

    • Hope says:

      It may not seem like a lot, but that is 3% more in health expenditure, maybe 3% more in policing, maybe 3% more traffic created as a result, or 3% higher insurance premiums. Not to mention that these are just the accidents requiring treatment in hospital, or reported as such. What about the ones that do not result in injury, or require a doctor visit only? Wouldn’t the 3% of those budgets be better spent elsewhere? It would be good to know what the monetary amounts of those would look like.

  2. wassup says:

    if that is 3 percent a week – that is ridiculous! There are so many idiots on the roads. I treat everyone I see like a moron when I drive, that way it helps me to anticipate the stupid things others are going to do which threaten me and my family.
    That’s what these people do not get – it’s not just them, it’s the others they injure ….
    There needs to be a huge re-evaluation of road safety in Bermuda

  3. ooops says:

    Good business for auto dealers and repair shops. Improving road safety would not be good for those businesses and would have a material impact on Bermuda’s economic growth.

    • Jeremy Deacon says:

      I’m assuming you are trying to make a dark joke?

      • PBanks says:

        Definitely dark – one could also lump in insurance companies and any company that is involved in wall construction/repair.

        As you know, road safety only gets on the public’s radar when there’s a fatality and that lasts for a couple days at most? Maybe these stats will open some eyes, but I’m not holding my breath.

  4. Really says:

    I would hope the insurance companies get involved, dumb driving should institute a huge increase in insurance.

  5. sage says:

    How many were alcohol related?

    • Lone Wolf says:

      We should also ask how many are caused by the road surface conditions?

      These roads are disgusting and dangerous all on their own. Trenches everywhere. Potholes everywhere. Deep, deep manholes spread all over the place so they’re almost impossible to avoid. Tree roots causing whoop-de-doos all over the place. No lighting all over the place, which is bad on its own, but then on coming traffic uses their high beams and half of them forget to switch them down for you (the other half just don’t care to).

      We should definitely ask how many had to do with Bermuda’s horrible road conditions.

      • Zevon says:

        And how many are caused by brainless idiots?
        Like the ass hat who overtook me on the inside last night, drove along the sidewalk at the lights at Ice Queen, nearly ran over a pedestrian on the sidewalk, then bounced nack onto the road causing cars to swerve, and then drove on. All at full speed. Jerk.

      • sage says:

        Good point, some sections really a disgrace and are very dangerous. No money for that they need to fund office building in the west.

  6. only part of the story says:

    Wonder how much these cost us a year in equipment, lost time and medical care?

    http://bernews.com/2016/08/police-officer-injured-in-two-vehicle-collision/

    http://bernews.com/2015/04/collision-police-vehicle-accident/

  7. JUNK YARD DOG says:

    That one is easy FIX THE ROADS.

    What right do you have to photograph us that does not solve any thing Bermuda is not Russia.

    You are turning Bermuda into a dictatorship.

    Try educating drivers and offer a better driving test.

    Last time i went out, the examiner fell asleep on me.