Changing behaviour on the roads

Dr. Christopher Johnson was introduced as the new chairman of the Road Safety Council yesterday. Will he be able to make Bermuda's roads safer?

Some of the things that he said were encouraging. He wants us to start looking at driving as a privilege and not a right. He's in favour of stiffer penalties for bad driving (although Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown has previously ruled this out). And he acknowledges that educational campaigns rarely affect any long-term change.

However, he said that lessons should be mandatory before new guest workers can get a bike licence. That's fine, but why single out guest workers? Why not make lessons mandatory for Bermudians too?

I was also confused by his statement about changing behaviour. "Most of the accidents we see have to do with behaviour and can any of us really change the behaviour of a young man or woman who chooses to take risks or take alcohol and get on a bike or in a car?" he asked. "No. We can't really get inside their heads and change it. What we can do is get the message out there and it needs to be done on a frequent basis..."

I'm not quite sure what Dr. Johnson was getting at with this. What use is getting the message out if it doesn't lead to changes in behaviour?

I believe we can change behaviour. But it's going to require breathalysing more motorists on Friday and Saturday nights. It's going to require the introduction of speed cameras to catch and fine those who break the speed limit. It's going to require more police on the roads stopping and arresting those who are driving dangerously.

It's also going to require using our existing resources more effectively - which doesn't mean stationing four officers on Kindley Field Road at 8am, as there were this morning.

Comments

[SmokingGun on 31.08.06 at 11:04]

Interesting stats from a blog on cars:

"Back in 1998, the State of California instituted what's referred to as the "Graduated Licensing Law." For those of you not in one of the several states that have adopted this law, it sets a series of restrictions on new drivers, both while driving on their learner's permit and after they've been licensed.

The restrictions include a mandatory amount of driving time with their parents (50 hours is the norm), as well as being required to hold their permit for a set amount of time (usually six months) before they can obtain a license. Once licensed, they are not allowed to drive during certain hours of the night and are unable to carry passengers under a specified age.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has just released figures that confirm that "Graduated Licensing" is having a positive effect. In California, the per-capita crash rate dropped by 23 percent overall, with nighttime crashes being reduced by 27 percent and crashes with other teens in the car falling a substantial 38 percent.

Changes to this law have taken place in California since its introduction, which may also had an effect on these stats. Other studies have shown a similar decline in crash rates, with few exceptions.

So beyond what's already been done, is there a 'next step' to reduce teen crash rates?"

Sounds like a winning formula to me.