Dissecting the Road Safety Council's Recommendations

I'm happy that the Minister of Transport has received recommendations from the Road Safety Council on how to reduce traffic collisions including road traffic fatalities. While some of these amendments may serve to help in the future, several of them don't seem to be able to address the current culture of recklessness™ currently occurring on Bermuda's roads:

• A graduated licence scheme for all new auxiliary cycle riders
  - I'm assuming this is where 16 year olds who pass their written and practical tests are first only allowed to ride with no passengers and only during set hours, before graduating to carrying passengers and then no limits on hours of day on the road. Okay, I suppose. Doesn't affect current riders in any way, however.
  


• the project ride programme increasing from 11 to 20 hours of instruction
  - Again, this is probably needed and will help the kids who get their licence. No effect on current riders or those who didn't take Project Ride and learned from their buddies (and whatever bad habits they may have instilled).
  
  
• going from one to two written exams being required before a person gets their licence
  -I have the feeling that this is being approached the wrong way. The written test isn't the issue, it's people choosing to run red lights and ignore use of indicators, things that can only be seen via a practical test. It may be more effective to have some kind of riding simulation where riders have to approach simulated traffic signs and make decisions from there, to see if they're ready for real-world riding.
  
  
• novice riders in their first year will not be able to tow pillion passengers; novice riders cannot ride after 11 p.m.; and, must bear a specific licence plate that will indicate that they are a novice rider
  - Here's the deal. It's been suggested that young riders have less focus when they have a passenger, and I'd tend to agree with that sentiment. The 11pm time seems arbitrary at best, I don't know how someone came up with that time to ban young riders from use of the roads. As for having a special licence plate, the message that sends to other motorists is what? Be extra careful because there's a guy who may not be familiar with the roads? Our rental cycles which often go to tourists have special plates; Bermuda's drivers don't seem to treat them with kid gloves. I would expect that this recommendation would also apply to guest workers; which could pose questions about for example not allowing a guest worker to ride carrying his spouse and forcing them to get two bikes.

I don't have access to the complete list of recommendations, so I can't say for sure if this is the entire index. What I'm disappointed in here is that nowhere listed is anything about the current crop of drivers. The fact remains that it's not just the young teenagers who are getting involved in these collisions.

This weekend (what made the Gazette; there were other incidents).
Friday in the Gazette.
From Tuesday's Gazette.

Seriously, the guy who weaves in and out of traffic, up hills and around corners, and forcing others to take immediate evasive action, is not affected by these recommendations in the slightest.

The taxi driver with his large Mercedes cab who cuts off drivers while having their high beams AND freaking fog lights on simultaneously, no change in their driving habits.

The person in their tinted-window car with sound system blaring and cell phone patched to one ear who flies through red lights and pedestrian crossings won't even flinch if this policy is implemented.

However, at least I'm encouraged by the idea that this is something that may actually be discussed in depth in Parliament soon.