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Video shows reality of road safety problem

Our dangerous roads: it is an all-too-typical sight ... this file photograph shows a road accident victim being lifted into an ambulance

A group of road safety advocates has gained unprecedented access to the carnage witnessed by ambulance crews to reveal the shocking toll of crashes and drink-driving.A Piece of the Rock released a sobering teaser for its upcoming documentary depicting injured motorists being put into the back of ambulances that culminates in the wrapped body of a road fatality.About 40 people a week needed treatment after road accidents in October, according to figures obtained by the Road Safety Council, with 1,411 people requiring emergency hospital treatment in the first ten months of this year.More than 100 people have been killed in road accidents over the past decade, including 11 this year alone.Creative producers of A Piece of the Rock, Manish Thareja and Agam Jain, hope their groundbreaking project raises awareness about the extent of the problem.“Not many people are aware that approximately 15 per cent of the population of Bermuda has been to the ER due to road traffic crashes in the past five years alone — many of whom are left with severe injuries, which have huge emotional, social, economic and psychological effects on this country,” Mr Thareja said.Mr Jain added: “Through our experience of filming over the last several months, we realised that some people are just not getting the full picture through the small number of accidents that get reported through media about their resulting, often long-lasting impact.” A Piece of the Rock, a partnership between Bermudians and Expats, has worked with the hospital, EMTs, doctors, nurses and staff over several months to lift the lid on the reality of the island's drink-drive and road safety problem.The full-length documentary, shot by local filmmakers, is expected to be released early next year. The first of four teasers was put on social media last Monday and has already garnered over 19k views, hundreds of “likes” and been shared more than 280 times. Mr Jain added: “The first teaser we have released will perhaps come as a shock to many people, but this is our reality. These videos and the documentary itself, are merely tools towards a much larger campaign that we need and it boils down to something simple — there must be a change in the cultural mindset. “We therefore urge people to follow these stories we share through social media and to themselves become the change this society needs.” The group is also gearing up to start a social media campaign encouraging residents to share their personal stories of being impacted by Bermuda's roads using the #APieceOfTheRock and #ShareyourStory. Mr Thareja said: “As we see it there are three core issues that need to be addressed through legislative change and enforcement.“Firstly to change the culture of drink-driving on the island; secondly, to have a rigorous graduated licensing programme for young adults; and lastly, to tackle the issue of speeding by perhaps reassessing the 35km-an-hour speed limit and its stringent enforcement through technology and other means.”