My pet peeve this week is traffic on the roads and the terrible manner in which we as a country drive our vehicles. I should congratulate Dr. Joseph Froncioni on doing an outstanding job as Chairman of the Bermuda Road and Safety Council. I must also welcome Dr. Christopher Johnson, his successor. Dr. Johnson has his work cut out for him, but his job as a reconstructive surgeon makes him an excellent choice. He is, after all, the person who has to repair and reconstruct the faces and other body parts of victims of serious accidents, collisions, etc. 2006 isn't even a month old and we've already had far too many accidents. Bikes, cars, trucks, the list is endless. More on this after we address the Top 20.

Finally making the big jump to number one is the kicking new joint from the Queen of R&B, Mary J Blige, entitled Be Without You. The Queen looks great and her new CD is banging.

Down to number two is Don't Forget About Us by Mariah Carey. You have to hear the dance mix, which slams. Unpredictable by Jamie Foxx featuring Ludacris climbs into the number three spot.

Improving to number four is Grillz by Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Gip. Down to number five is I Think They Like Me by Dem Franchize Boyz featuring Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat and Bow Wow, while Here We Go by Trina featuring Kelly Rowland drops to number six.

Speeding up the chart to number seven is Madonna's monster new hit, Hung Up, a former essential new joint. You gotta check out her entire CD, entitled Confessions on a Dancefloor. It's great stuff!

Improving to number eight is Kryptonite (I'm on It) by the Purple Ribbon All Stars. Falling to number nine is There It Go (The Whistle Song) by Juelz Santana. Slipping to number 10 is Unbreakable by Alicia Keys while One Wish, by RayJay drops to number 11.

Window Shopper by 50 Cent, tumbles to number 12 and on the way down to number 13 is I Should Have Cheated by Keyshia Cole. Falling to the number 14 spot is the new hit from Kanye West featuring Adam Levine entitled Heard 'em Say.

Last week's essential new joint — Gorillaz by Feel Good Inc. — improves to number 15. This one is generating quite a following and is easing up dance charts all over the world.

Climbing to number16 is the latest from Canadian/Guyanian diva Deborah Cox — House is Not a Home. Entering at number 17 is So Sick by Ne-Yo, this week's essential new tune. This is a smooth, beautiful down tempo joint with a cool beat, a lovely vocal performance and catchy lyrics. The melody is sweet and you will find yourself singing the words or humming the tune.

Falling to number 18 is Run It by Chris Brown. Down to number 19 is I'm Sprung by T-Pain. On the way out at number 20 is Stay Fly by Three 6 Mafia featuring Young Buck and Eightball & MJF.

Now back to this week's word — how we drive and how to make the roads safer for everybody.

Well, there are quite a few things, but before we get into the drivers, let's talk about the pedestrians. Although this does happen all over the world, pedestrians here take liberties that place their lives in danger.

For instance, have you ever been driving through Reid or Queen Street, and have people just amble across the middle of the road, not using proper pedestrian crossings, which taxpayers have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide. This is very dangerous and should stop immediately. Please use the pedestrian crossings, with buttons and lights, that are strategically placed to allow you to cross the streets.

Now to the drivers, and we are all guilty of some of this. Let's start with the cellphones, because I truly believe that the use of cellphones while driving will cause more damage than not wearing a seatbelt.

So let's stop using cellphones while we drive cars and ride bikes. Yes, I've seen people on cellphones while they are riding. Now back to the seatbelts. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't wear seatbelts, because we should, simply because it is the law. They are, admittedly, uncomfortable, but they can save your life.

Now, there's the third lane created by those of us who ride mopeds. Yes, in case you didn't know, Bermuda has three and sometimes four/five lanes of traffic. There's the regular two lanes, then bike riders tend to ride up the middle, between the two lanes, and then there's the inside lane between the cars and the left side of the road. We actually use all five lanes, but this is both dangerous driving and silly. All you need is for someone in a car to open a door (on either side) and the person on the approaching/overtaking bike will likely be injured.

Then there's the speeding, and we're all guilty of this. It's a good thing that speed indicators with "slow down" messages have been erected at various locations on the island. However, if nobody pays attention to them, it was an exercise in futility. I find that if I'm speeding a little these indicators do indeed cause me to slow down. Hopefully this works for others as well.

I'd be remiss and unfair if I didn't speak to the driving of some bus drivers, taxi drivers, truck drivers and other commercial vehicle operators. Nobody is perfect, but I've seen some poor driving by bus, taxi and truck drivers.

Since these vehicles are usually larger than the other vehicles on the road, the margin for error here is much smaller. Bus drivers in particular cannot afford to make mistakes, because of the sheer size of their vehicles. Then there's the taxis who are giving tours to visitors, which everyone knows I fully support. However, let's not have taxis taking up the entire road and slowing down traffic for miles while they point out flora, fauna and all of Bermuda's beauty. Tours can be done very effectively without inconveniencing other road users.

So let's encourage the bus, taxi and truck drivers to step up their driving game and pay attention more.

Back in the day, before HOTT 1075, DJ Wayne Lottimore of Power 95 used to do the drive home show, and he would always remind everyone to drive with care, caution and courtesy. This was excellent advice that is still applicable today. So, please, please drive with more care, caution and courtesy. An old friend of mine once told me that 90 percent of driving is looking out for the other idiots on the road. This is true, because we all get careless from time to time.

So, if we all look out for the other idiots on the road, a category into which we all fall sometimes, the roads will indeed be safer. Something has to be done about people who drink and drive.

I like Roxanne Christopher (her brother and I were in the same class for 12 years) but she's lost her mind if she thinks it's reasonable to make bartenders and club/pub managers responsible for patrons who drink too much. You simply cannot put that onus on them. We are dealing with adults, people over 18, who should be responsible enough to know when they've consumed too much and need to take a taxi or get a lift. Another, more practical option might be to raise the legal drinking age in Bermuda to 21. For all the criticisms that we heap upon America, they've got this one right — the legal drinking age in America is 21. Even in Canada, you have to be 19 to drink. People who drink and drive must be punished to the full extent of the law. I agree with Dr. Chris' three strikes and you lose your license ideas. This could work and is very fair.

Lastly, let's all try to be a bit more patient. We're all in a mad rush to get to work, to get home or to go wherever our destination might be.

Patience is necessary, simply because our population has grown and there are many more vehicles on the road than in the old days.

This has created more traffic and more traffic problems, but it's not nearly as bad as some other places and with a little patience you get past it. Here's to safer driving and more patience.

Peace ...