Shadow Minister Susan Jackson On Road Safety
“Road safety must be a reliable and safe means to navigate our island and Government has a role to play in the solution,” Shadow Transport Minister Susan Jackson said.
Ms Jackson said, “It’s time for the motoring community to be brutally honest. We have to re-examine our responsibility on the roads. Do we have to speed to get there? Will overtaking really make that much of a difference in time to get to your destination. Is your life or someone else’s worth it?”
“While we can appreciate the services of the Bermuda Police Service, better enforcement on the roads is imperative. In some cases the Police need to save people from themselves.
“To the Minister of Works & Engineering, a number of roads in Bermuda are deplorable and need attention. When will this be addressed? It’s not equitable for road users to be focusing on the road while dodging potholes.”
Ms Jackson called on “W&E, Road Safety Council, Bermuda Police and Transport to act on published transport recommendations. The Transport Ministry has produced data-based actions, but we’ve seen little done in these areas.
“Review and update the Traffic Handbook and licensing requirements
“Task Bermuda police, TCD and Public Works with upgrading existing warning equipment to ensure the highest levels of road safety
“Review the penalties laid out in the Road Traffic Act 1947 with a view to updating and strengthening them.
“If government can’t change our culture of road behaviour and ensure residents and visitors can safely drive to and from their destination, we’re failing our social responsibility. Road safety must be a reliable and safe means to navigate our island and Government has a role to play in the solution,” she said.
I think a study should really be done to find out why so many riders are obviously suicidal. Thats the only reason I see for some of the road behavior.
Part of the problem is the introduction of wearing helmets it makes them feel that nothing can happen to them because their head is protected. The feeling of the head must be protected as a priority.
Refer to the Pitt Report for the answer to your questions .
With all due respect, forget studies. We can observe the problem behaviors – running red lights, speeding, overtaking on blind corners, bikes gueueing at the front of a line of traffic at stop signs and lights, using pedestrians as target practice on crosswalks, bikes using the “third lane”, driving while impaired. The solutions? In my opinion:
1. Enforce the existing traffic code rules
2. Launch a major and sustained public awareness campaign about the need for safety and courtesy on the roads
3. Review penalties for breaking the law Re: rules of the road
4. Have Police more visible and present on the roads. It is also observable that when they are out in the open motorists slow down and take greater care
It’s not difficult to figure this stuff out. It just needs to be stopped now!
As distressing as the numbers on, most of the fatalities seem to reflective of bad driving/riding habits. Everyone sees the road behavior by many cycle riders and it is unfortunate that life doesn’t seem to have much value to many. I would have thought that the rate of road deaths would cause some to pause and reflect on their riding but it doesn’t seem so.
*I would have thought that the rate of road deaths would cause some to pause and reflect on their riding but it doesn’t seem so.*
Just take a minute and look at the people you’re referring to.
In the not so distant past we’ve had 2 people killed riding recklessly after leaving funerals of their friends who were killed on the roads for the very same reason. We’ve had the ‘gory’ road campaigns where gruesome accidents were staged along the streets. Some years ago we even had a super horrific documentary on tv , run multiple times , by a road accident victim (although the actual story is a little deeper) that should have shocked everyone into some ‘sensibility’ but the mayhem continues from the same offenders every minute of every day.
We are clearly talking about a group of people here are a)totally lawless and b) incapable of learning . Nothing is going to change because if learning from the misfortunes of others was possible it would have happened years ago.