A charity founded by the families of road accident victims is appealing to the community to unite to prevent more loss of life.

Angel Nottingham, president of R.O.L.O. (Remembering Our Loved Ones), said what is needed is a "community-wide" effort to raise road safety awareness.

Mrs. Nottingham spoke following the death of 27-year-old Andrew Jackson on Christmas Day.

The son of Police Commissioner George Jackson, his passing marks the 16th loss of life on Bermuda's roads this year.

Mr. Jackson, of Pembroke, struck a wall in Middle Road, Warwick, on his motorcycle on the evening of December 21 and died from his injuries four days later.

Mrs. Nottingham said yesterday: "Our condolences go out to the Jackson family. We are a small community and so it just gets harder and harder each time someone is killed, especially over the holidays."

She said rather than physical safety measures being implemented on the roads, more needed to be done to highlight safer driving among motorists.

"I think it really takes the community, it's not just the Police," said Mrs. Nottingham.

Citing problems of faster 125 and 150cc motorbikes and drink-driving, she said: "We need to find a way of making people more aware of road safety. We now have the second highest number of deaths in 20 years."

But she also called for more Police patrols.

"I think if we can have more Police presence on the roads in the evenings, and closer to bars and nightclubs, it would make people more vigilant and a little more respectful of other drivers."

In the New Year, R.O.L.O. plans to hold more public meetings and to organise more events in partnership with other organisations.

This Christmas it has been running an anti-drink and drive campaign with CADA (Centre for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention), with placards around the Island.

The charity was founded last year to provide comfort and support to the grieving families and friends of road accident victims.

Mrs. Nottingham said: "We are looking to team up with the Road Safety Council and CADA and others. We are also looking to get the public more involved.

"We are also considering passing flyers warning of the dangers of drink-driving to people heading into bars and clubs."

Last night, road safety advocate Dr. Joseph Froncioni said he hopes to meet with Governor Sir Richard Gozney to request a higher Police presence on the Island's roads.

Dr. Froncioni, chairman of the Road Safety Council 2000-2005, is also the co-author of the report 'Road Traffic Injuries in Bermuda 2003-4', published this June. He founded the charity BermudaSMARTRISK in 2001 to try and address accidents resulting in injury.

In his research, Dr. Froncioni found that between 1993 and 2004, road traffic injuries increased by 67 percent.

Last night he said: "Our findings are clear we have anarchy on the roads. I will do my best to meet with the Governor to try to convince him we need to increase the Police presence to reverse this terrible trend.

"One of the major factors in road traffic accidents is the increase of speed in Bermuda."

He said in 1988 the average speed was 40-45 km per hour whereas in 2008 it was now 55-60 km per hour.

"People don't understand that on undivided roads the number of fatal injuries increases exponentially with the speed of travel.

"We are never going to get that speed down without Police presence, and politicians need to press for this."

Dr. Froncioni said: "We are now leading the developed world in the number of road deaths per 100,000 citizens, and that is completely unacceptable."