Youth input is being sought by the Road Safety Council to help reverse the spate of fatal accidents which chairman Christopher Johnson says is at crisis level.

Police said this week they had seen an "unprecedented" number of serious traffic accidents and pleaded with the public to slow down and pay attention when driving.

Dr. Johnson said a young person aged between 16 and 25 will be chosen to sit on the Council and help devise an advertising campaign aimed at teens and young adults.

He added: "They will help us design a more urban, guerrilla advertising campaign to appeal to younger riders who are learning behaviour on the roads. We want to get them early to change their behaviour."

Asked if the current campaign was not working he said: "We cannot give ourselves an A, we have had four deaths already this year and two people on life support in intensive care. We are in crisis."

Dr. Johnson said public health campaigns take a while to filter through, adding: "What we are seeing is as a result of five to ten years ago not reaching those people so we have to try something new so getting younger voices is really important. We want to have a more powerful presence at sporting venues.

"We are already neck and neck with last year's statistics."

Junior Transport Minister Senator Wayne Caines backed the move to better target young people with the safe driving message.

He said: "I think at that age people think they are invincible, they think it will not happen to them. When they get on the bike and the stimulus hits them - the need to speed - they do not think of the consequences."

He said it might be time to consider shock tactics to hammer the message home in schools. "We have to do whatever it takes."

Sen. Caines is going to the funeral of close friend David Ellis on Sunday who had died after a road collision earlier this month.

He added: "My pager goes off daily about road traffic accidents, I feel almost paralysed. We have to do something to change the road culture."

Police have renewed appeals for witnesses to two serious road accidents on Thursday which put two people in intensive care.

A 37-year-old moped rider from Warwick is still in critical condition with serious head and chest injuries after he hit a roundabout on Palmetto Road near the junction with Barker's Hill at around 8.30 p.m. Witnesses should call Pc Frederick Blunt on 295 0011.

And Police are also appealing for witnesses after a 23-year-old Paget woman suffered serious head injuries after her car overturned and hit a wall on Middle Road in Warwick near the junction with Longford Road at around 12.45 a.m. She too was in a critical condition in the ICU last night. Witnesses should call Pc Shameen Iqbal on 295 0011.

• If you are aged between 16 and 25 and want to join the Road Safety Council call Dr. Johnson on 292 2000 or Road Safety Officer Roxanne Christopher 295 5151 ext. 3443.