Road safety officials are urging people directly affected by traffic accidents to come to a meeting ? to help hammer home a message to take care on the roads.

The Road Safety Council is looking to feature people affected by road fatalities or accidents in a new campaign urging people to choose life.

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said 20 people could die on Bermuda?s roads this year, if the rate of road deaths continued at its current rate.

Acting Road Safety Council Officer David Minors said a town hall meeting would be held tomorrow so that people whose lives have been affected by a road death or collision could come and share their experiences. He said: ?The purpose of this meeting is to engage the loved ones, parents, girlfriends, sisters, brothers of those lost to our roads, as well as those who have been affected by a road traffic collision or fatality in the past ten years.

?We would like the opportunity to sit down with you and talk.?

He said there may be a sentiment in the community that when people do not know the person involved in the accident it doesn?t affect them.

He said: ?That is not the case ? every life lost to our roads does affect us all ? we as a community must do all that we can to curb this disturbing trend.?

Last year there were 14 road deaths, already this year there have been five.

Shannon Nusum, who was 20 when he died on March 8, was the fifth road death after being involved in an accident on North Shore Road, Smiths, on March 5.

Mr. Caines said the Bermuda Police Service fully supported the initiative and would like to see the disturbing trend stopped.

He said: ?This is a great concern for us and that is why we are supporting the Road Safety Council in their campaign which reminds people that they should choose life.

?In this campaign the responsibility is on road users to make smart decisions whilst on the road. The council want to incorporate real life testimonials of individuals who suffered as a result of a road traffic collision. It?s proving to be a no holds barred campaign. We are encouraging anyone who has been affected by a road collision or fatality as a caregiver or friend to come out and speak about their story and use it as a real and vivid part of the campaign.?

The meeting will be at Victor Scott School tomorrow and starts at 6 p.m.