Column: Addressing Deaths On Bermuda Roads
[Opinion column written by Kenneth E. Dill]
It is somewhat baffling to me that over the years we have had so many deaths on Bermuda’s roads from people speeding and nothing concrete has been done about it.
The numerous campaigns from the Department of Transport and Road Safety Council seem to be ineffective as we continue to count the costs.
Our speed limit is thirty five kph, however none of our vehicles are equipped or modified to reduce the astronomical speeds that they can do when brought into the Island. Why do we continue to import vehicles that can reach these speeds when our laws are against it?
More and more families are left to mourn when a love one decides to turn the throttle full tilt or press the pedal to the metal and not exercise the caution required to preserve life, theirs or others.
Is the logic that astounding that no one in position to change the law to prohibit or eliminate vehicles that can reach speeds 4 or five times beyond our established limit has put the suggestion forward?
On this island of twenty two square miles with so many winding bends that we have to continually brake to navigate them, do we need these speedy vehicles?
The odd vehicle size controversy over the years has been good enough to get one or two types banned from our roads but the speed has always remained the same.
We all know the old adage “speed kills” and until we as individuals become more aware that although we may be the safest rider or driver out there, it is always the other inconsiderate individual we have to look out for.
When I open the paper or read online and see that another life has been lost as a result of someone speeding, sometimes so young with their whole life ahead of them, it breaks my heart.
We need to do something about this because it is not stopping and I truly believe we need a rethink on our vehicle requirements. Just a thought……
- Kenneth E. Dill
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Category: Accidents and fires, All
we live in a fast paced world & it will only get faster. the only thing I can say is educate yourself and your loved ones about how serious road safety is, & make sure your well protected out there…
The options
1. Refit bikes and cars with smaller engines.
2. Restructure police so that we have a 24 hour police road unit.
3. Leave all as is and continue to count the fatalities.
4. Stop making stupid decisions on the roads that can kill us and others.
As with Guns… It not the inanimate object that is the problem… It’s the idiots controlling them…
I drive from the west end to town every morning and have at least 5-10 vehicles pass me going like bats outta h3ll… At least once a month I pass one of these vehicles involved in an accident… got to the point I don’t bother stopping anymore.
The only thing that’s going to slow these fools down is more diligent police patrols (but then they will just run from the police and smash up anyway)
Survey how many people actually know what the speed limit is. The comment I usually hear from people who used to adhere to 35mph is “I think police don’t bother unless the speed goes over 50mph”. Or forget the survey and have a campaign to remind people what the speed limit is and what the consequences are of getting caught. There is a consequence, isn’t there? Then there is the drinking. When everyone arrives from abroad we see, while waiting for our luggage, very large posters advertising Bermuda as an alcohol destination. Are these businesses the only one that can afford advertisements at the airport? We seem to run on coffee, petrol, and alcohol.
Can speed governors installed on all vehicles be a solution to traffic deaths in Bermuda? The police and coroner’s office have the statistics on the causes of fatal accidents, so worth investigating how many were speed-related, I think. http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2013/09/05/33584/would-installing-speed-regulators-on-cars-increase/
The vehicles don’t need refitting with smaller engines, it is the drivers that need refitting with bigger brains.
Smaller engine vehicles MAY help to save one or two lives but what we need are vehicles that are equipped to NOT start when a drunk person tries to drive, or an angry person, or a sleepy person, or a moron, etc.
But if we had that, then only about 2% of our population would actually be able to start their vehicles.
Safer road surfaces would help a lot as well. Our roads are just dusgusting lately.
I am planning to send all of my vehicle maintenance bills, as well as my medical bills for my injured back, to the Government. And I’m going to keep on sending them until they either pay them or actually FIX the roads.
so tired of this hand-wringing about this topic.
by and large, the deaths by road accidents are like AIDS – nearly 100% Preventable. when people act and drive responsibly, the numbers of deaths will decline dramatically.
Idk, most road deaths are probably directly attributable to drugs/alcohol and secondly to speed.
Majority of bike accidents can be caused by speeding, being intoxicated and both but there’s also the minority that have died through careless accidents like the side kick stand forgotten to be put up and have lost control of their bikes resulting in death.