More Police on the roads, fastening helmets properly and decreasing our speed are all ways we could help in the ever increasing "anarchy" on our roads.

That according to former Road Safety Council chairman and Bermuda Smartrisk founder Joseph Froncioni who presented the Road Traffic Crashes in Bermuda 2003/2004 report at a UBP Hamilton Parish branch meeting, Thursday.

The report looks at the demographics and severity of road injuries for residents and tourists, using statistics from more than 3,500 accidents reported to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Held at the Francis Patton School about ten people gathered including shadow Minister of Social Rehabilitation Donte Hunt at the meeting to hear the results of the research also done with the help of Health Promotion Coordinator Jennifer Attride-Stirling and social psychology researcher Marcelo Ramella.

Dr. Froncioni also explained that the next step that should be important for Bermuda is the "Economic Burden of unintentional injury" or as he explained for the non-doctors there: how much accidents cost.

He explained: "Ninety percent of all accidents are preventable. A head injury costs about $7,500 a day in ICU. The average stay in the ICU is five days.

"That's $37,500 for a purely preventable injury to start with. We are talking millions of dollars over a life time for that person.

"Looking at the economic burden of unintentional injury, that might be the next step."

Questions from the audience ranged from why is the government not heeding these statistics to how can the Island make long term change in its road statistics.

The meeting, on Thursday, came only days after Tennison Fernando became the Island's 13th road fatality of 2008, compared with 11 deaths for the whole of 2007.

Sri Lankan Mr. Fernando, 40, died from head injuries after falling off his motorcycle into the path of an oncoming vehicle at a sharp bend in South Road, Southampton, on Sunday.

Findings of the report include 16-year-old's being the most at-risk motorists, with drivers needing about five years' experience before they can properly assess risk.

And there was a 67 percent increase in road injuries sustained by residents in the ten years leading up to the time the report was carried out.

Thursday, Dr. Froncioni pointed to the Tumin report, which was carried out several years ago and indicated that the policing on the Island was too heavy handed.

What then happened, according to Dr. Froncioni, is that the pendulum on policing went the opposite direction and besides increased supervision on the roads, people need to be taught safety at a young age.

"There was a marked decrease in policing following the Tumin report. Police being out there is vital and without it we are not going to see a decrease.

"But we have to start young with pedestrian and bicycle education. That's how we get long term change. We have to reign in what I only see as anarchy on the roads."