horrifying nature of a front page photograph in this newspaper of a fatal crash scene. We were even asked by the broadcast media to justify our use of the picture.

First of all let us say that thoroughly unpleasant photographs are not used lightly or without consideration. This newspaper has the highest penetration of its reader market of any newspaper in the English speaking world; thus we do not need to use sensationalism to sell our paper. However we do have a public duty which can and sometimes does override what might be considered offensive or distasteful content. The picture was printed as part of what we see as our public duty.

The conditions on Bermuda's roads are bad and getting worse. We cannot know but it seems unlikely that the young man whose death resulted in our coverage was riding his cycle badly but that is not the point. There are a great many people riding and driving badly on Bermuda's roads. Everyone who uses the roads is familiar with the tailgateing, the passsing on the inside, the weaving in and out, the passing on blind corners, the high speeds and the generally careless approach of many young people on cycles. We all discuss the situation often and we all decry the fact that it happens and goes on happening.

Such reckless behaviour leads to accidents, serious injury and even death. But the philosophy of these riders seems to be that nothing can or will happen to them. They think they are both immune to injury and above the law. But the truth is that it does happen to them. They do get hurt and they do get killed and far too often for any of us to be comfortable with the situation.

Some years ago the Road Safety Council was criticised for a particularly specific and somewhat grisly advertising campaign aimed largely at cycle riders. But the truth is that the campaign produced some good results, at least for a time. It shocked people and some began to be a good deal more careful.

We decided to run the Page One picture which was complained of knowing it would be a painful experience for the young man's family and friends. However we believed that such a graphic picture of the horrible results of an accident might cause some people to stop and think and to ride more carefully. You can never count the results of this kind of public exposure. However, you can hope that that it might cause some people to modify their behaviour, to drive carefully and to save themselves from injury or even death.

If the publicity we shone on Ewan Sampson's tragedy saves another person from such a tragedy then it will have been worth the pain the publicity caused.