Community Must Take Action On Road Safety
Four Bermudians tragically lost their lives on Bermuda’s roads already this year and in the preceding 29 months, 29 persons have lost their lives by way of road traffic collisions, an average of one death a month, Detective Chief Inspector Nicholas Pedro said today [May 7].
“I urge everyone to consider the statistics, and consider the safety of everyone by your presence on the roads. Think before you act, and hopefully you may save a life,” Detective Pedro said.
“The Bermuda Police Service will do its’ role through awareness & enforcement, but road safety is a collective effort that all members of the community must reinforce – Family, Friends, Bartenders or even strangers.”
Detective Pedro said that in 2013-14 the most common day of serious collisions was Sundays between 10:00am & 6:00pm, with 23.2% of all serious collisions reported to Police occurring on these days.
He also said that though data analysis, the BPS found that there are certain locations where the “majority of serious injury collisions occurred in 2013-14″, which include Middle Road, Warwick between junctions of Morgan Road [Lindo’s] and as far west as Burnt House Hill; Middle Road, Southampton between junctions of Lighthouse Road to the vicinity of Five Star Island; North Shore Road junctions of Studio Lane [Shelly Bay stretch] to Coney Island Road; South Road, Paget junctions of Southcote Road [Horizons] to Harvey Road; Somerset Road junctions of Scotts Hill Road to Cambridge Road and East Broadway.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicholas Pedro’s full statement is below:
As many of you will no doubt be aware, four Bermudians tragically lost their lives on Bermuda’s roads already this year [2015].
In the years 2013-2014, 25 Bermudians lost their lives – meaning that in the preceding 29 months, 29 persons have lost their lives by way of road traffic collisions. This is an average of one death a month.
90% of all collision related deaths between 01-January-2013 to today, were Bermudians. Of these, 76% were black Bermudian males.
Interestingly in 2013-14 the most common day of serious collisions was Sundays between 10:00am & 6:00pm – a traditional social and sporting time frame – with 23.2% of all serious collisions reported to Police occurring on these days.
I will state that our data may differ somewhat than that held at the hospital, as some accidents go unreported, but the data is clear as to who is most at risk from serious injury or death on our roads.
As we transition into the Summer season, we are only too cognizant that all Bermudians will ready themselves for the May 24th, Heroes Weekend, and other social and sporting events that go along with summer traditions on our Island.
On January 20th this year, the Bermuda Police Service released our Road Safety Strategy with three central tenets: Enforcement & Awareness; Prevention & Education; Deter & Rehabilitate
This weekend, the Bermuda Police Service will be placing special attention on our role in this process, with an awareness and enforcement campaign across Bermuda.
Through data analysis, we have found that there are five locations where the majority of serious injury collisions occurred in 2013-14. These are –
- 1. Middle Road Warwick between junctions of Morgan Road [Lindo’s] and as far west as Burnt House Hill;
- 2. Middle Road Southampton between junctions of Lighthouse Road to the vicinity of Five Star Island;
- 3. North Shore Road Hamilton junctions of Studio Lane [Shelly Bay stretch] to Coney Island Road;
- 4. South Road Paget junctions of Southcote Road [Horizons] to Harvey Road;
- 5. Somerset Road Sandys junctions of Scotts Hill Road to Cambridge Road
- 6. East Broadway in Hamilton is also identified as a frequent fatal and serious injury collision spot.
To this end, members of the motoring public can expect to see our officers in these, and other locations raising awareness about the risk of serious injury or death from driving or riding at excessive speed, without due care & attention, or driving or riding while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Officers will be exercising professional judgment by issuing a combination of motorist warning notices, tickets, and/or making arrests as the circumstances dictate.
We are urging all members of the community to take steps to ensure that our husbands, sons, brothers, wives, sisters & mothers do not drink & drive.
We are asking every member of the community to ask themselves, “Before I get on my bike or in my car, have I had too much to drink?”
The death toll on our roads tells us that the community must move to take action.
The Bermuda Police Service will do its’ role through awareness & enforcement, but road safety is a collective effort that all members of the community must reinforce – Family, Friends, Bartenders or even strangers.
We will be using our various Social Media platforms to provide live feeds about our officers’ locations and information over the weekend, and follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds for updated information.
I urge everyone to consider the statistics, and consider the safety of everyone by your presence on the roads. Think before you act, and hopefully you may save a life.
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Category: Accidents and fires, All, News
Does this mean, then, that it is the road conditions that are the biggest threat? ‘Everyone knows’ (the two most dangerous words in Bermuda IMO) that ‘all’ accidents are attributable to D&D – maybe this suggests that that is not the case.
There are two things that are therefore relevant – 1. the lack of inquests that would help to clarify whether road conditions/layout etc was a contributory or not and 2. the continued lack of action from Government on this issue, this group http://bernews.com/2015/04/new-road-safety-working-group/ was meant to have met in April, we are now on May 7 and I, for one, have seen nothing.
Who knows. Since the start of the year there has been a “Summit”, a social media campaign, and some formation of a Working Group… from the powers that be.
Maybe there’ll be a meeting at the end of this month to provide another press release.
Decisive action? Yeah right.
Road conditions definitely play a role in road accidents but almost (if not) every road death can be directly attributed to speed and/or alcohol/other drugs.
While some junctions definitely need changes to the layout to make them safer, most serious accidents in those areas can be directly attributed to speed, drugs and poor driving habits.
And to your point I would add that another factor often is reckless driving from the 16 year olds all the way to adults… I just had a hit and run a few days after the tragic death of the young lady and although the driver of the bike was identified (just passed the “driving. Test” recently) they don’t take responsibility for their careless action and of course always find excuses for their careless and inconsiderate behavior …
i used to think that road conditions were an unlikely/small contributor of some road accidents but having recently rode on these roads on a motor bike i can attest that some roads are damn dangerous in the daylight with ruts, uneven paving, pot holes, gravel, sand, oil, glass etc., to name a few . at night with these conditions and poor lighting, my chances are being involved in a single vehicle accident has increased and this is before fatigue or alcoholic drinks.
the ministry of W&E must also take action in facilitating Road Safety.
Good point Jeremy.
Having investigated hundreds of accidents over my years of gone by I can assure you that you do have a point.
“Everyone Knows” is actually correct.
Everyone knows what corners/bends/hills et al are to be careful of when it is raining. It’s a no brainer for those that ride/drive.
Part of passage to be taught, observe et al.
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Slow the flick down and stop being in a hurry and stop the dui’s which do not always come out right in an autopsy.
An opinion.
Shalom.
That’s great (and for the most part very true), but it’s been shown that people are choosing not to listen and adhere to rules of the road, despite multiple calls from various Ministers of Transport, police spokespersons, RSC chairpersons among others.
‘Education’ and ‘Awareness’ aren’t working.
So this weekend, officers will be out to keep an eye on the streets, which will be followed by status quo for the rest of the month. That’ll do it.
Don’t know what Banks your on but you sure are a Challenger.
PB. Take a pill dood.
Maybe I should take one of your troll pills
Some of the worst driving is by the BPS, they don’t practice what they preach!
Just the other day they wrote off two motorcycles, one was brand new!
http://bernews.com/2015/04/collision-police-vehicle-accident/
Here is just a partial list of their track record!
http://bernews.com/2010/09/police-in-pursuit-car-overturns-crashes/
http://bernews.com/2013/04/collision-involving-police-car-in-southampton/
http://bernews.com/2012/12/accident-involving-police-car-in-devonshire/
http://bernews.com/2012/04/police-car-crashes-responding-to-burglary/
http://bernews.com/2014/04/police-officer-injured-in-motorcycle-collision/
http://bernews.com/2012/03/police-car-crashes-on-north-shore/
http://bernews.com/2011/12/police-car-crashes-in-southampton/
http://bernews.com/2011/10/police-car-crashes-into-wall/
http://bernews.com/2012/02/accident-police-car-private-car/
http://bernews.com/2011/06/accident-in-devonshire-bike-police-car/
http://bernews.com/2011/05/two-injured-after-police-car-taxi-accident/
http://bernews.com/2011/05/police-car-crashes-in-st-davids/
http://bernews.com/2011/01/motorbike-police-collision-two-hospitalized/
http://bernews.com/2010/11/middle-road-police-vehicle-truck-collide/
http://bernews.com/2010/11/accident-police-car-smashes-wall/
http://bernews.com/2014/10/police-officer-involved-in-causeway-collision/
http://bernews.com/2014/11/collision-involving-police-car-water-truck/
http://bernews.com/2015/01/collision-jan-9-2015/
They will not be able to change road behavior and they know it. It’s just another revenue making move for a broke government because if it wasn’t they would be out there rain, blow or shine. So all of you ‘Dudley Do Rights’ stop dreaming. I’m just saying!!
I agree with the comments about the road conditions. I ride a motorcycle 90% of the time. Most of my travels (to and from work) are in the west end. The road conditions from Somerset Bridge all the way into Dockyard are just pathetic. Inch deep trenches, potholes, tree root speedbumps and ‘whoop-de-doos’ are EVERYWHERE! And don’t bother taking Soundview Road to avoid them because Soundview Road is even worse! I have been riding for 25 years and have never seen road conditions like this before. It is disgusting. Even seasoned riders get pulled from side to side when our tires get sucked into the trenches. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE THEY FIX IT?
I can only imagine how many tourists are going to go home injured or in a box because of our roads in the west. They can barely ride on GOOD road conditions!
And as for the police, they need to be out there with their laser and highly visible patrols at NIGHT! Not during morning and 5:00 pm rush hour traffic. STOP ticketing hard working people who are just trying to get to work or get home from work and START pulling over the people leaving the bars and the people racing up and down the streets at 3:00 am!!