Road users in Bermuda need to ?change their mind-set? and start caring for each other again ? or risk seeing more deaths.

That was the message from officials in the wake of the death of 20-year-old Stephen Andrew Lee, who died after colliding with a car on North Shore Road on Friday.

His death was the 64th on Bermuda?s roads since January 1, 2000, and brought renewed calls for drivers to obey the law of the roads.

The Road Safety Council?s Acting Road Safety Officer, David Minors, said the mentality in Bermuda needed to change and added: ?What it boils down to is choice.

?We need people to understand that when you get on a bike and in the car you run the risk of hurting others and yourself.

?We must take a vast interest in the safety of our roads. We have to look out for everyone else. We used to, but we no longer do that and our driving habits have changed.

?We need people to slow down and take care. We need to change the mind set because this problem is based on people choosing to break the law.?

Mr. Minors agreed that higher penalties and more Police would help return order to Bermuda?s roads, but said there were other factors as well.

He said: ?More signs, more police, higher fines and penalties, a combination of all of those factors would be beneficial, but I also think education is important. We need to teach younger people to take care.?

Mr. Minors said the Road Safety Council would be meeting later this week to discuss the various initiatives that would take place in the coming year. He said they would be discussing all of the factors involved in getting people to slow down and would be examining draft legislation to ban the use of mobiles while driving.

He said the legislation was in a very rough draft and not ready to go before the Minister of Transport, but that the Council would examine how to implement the law in Bermuda.

Deputy Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley echoed Mr. Minors? views and said many road users had no regard for the law.

He said: ? People are driving at ridiculous speeds. My heart goes out to people who have lost loved ones, I think it is absolutely ridiculous with our speed limit that so many people are dying on our roads.?

He argued that people would pay attention to the message if Police stepped up their efforts and penalties were tougher.

?The message is not getting out because there is no one enforcing the law,? he said. ?Other than the occasional blitz by the Police there is no enforcement, you rarely see an officer patrolling the roads.

?We also need to change the penalties, our penalties haven?t changed for years now. It?s a slap on the wrist and $300 fine for speeding at 60km.

?We need to make it tougher. People need to realise that when you have a driver?s licence and you are on the road it is a privilege, and it can be taken away. We need to crack down speeding. The only effective laws are the laws that are enforced, the rest are not laws they are a mockery.?

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said: ?The death of Stephen Lee is a sombre start to 2007 as it continues a very worrying trend that developed in 2006.

?We lost 14 men last year and this year we have already lost one. We have had many campaigns and many initiative but sadly the message does not seem to be making an impact

?I think any loss of life is a high number but 14 deaths is certainly a worrying trend.?

Mr Caines said the Bermuda Police Service would continue its initiatives and implored people to slow down and obey the rules of the road.

The Minister of Transport, Premier Dr. Ewart Brown, was not available for comment