So far this year, Bermuda has suffered nine road deaths. Even if the death toll does not increase this month, this would mean the island is on track for 18 fatalities this year, which would be the highest in half a century.

It would be the second highest number since 1975, the year before crash helmets were finally made mandatory. That action resulted in a dramatic fall in fatalities in 1976.

There is still time for Bermuda to reverse this dubious and shameful achievement, but there seems to be little will to exercise it.

Beyond the statistics, it’s important to remember the real human loss behind the names and numbers. Every life lost is a tragedy, with a life cut short before its time. There is no telling what these people might have achieved or what contributions they might have made had they not been involved in the crash that took their lives.

In some cases, this particularly resonates given the youth of the victims. Jahzavier Wilson, was 19 when he collided with a water truck on February 2.

Siena Frankson was 16 when she was thrown from the motorcycle on which she was a pillion passenger on February 14.

But, the other victims also saw their lives end prematurely. Many would have been young adults who left parents to grieve, or parents themselves who have left children without a mother or father, spouses or partners, siblings, cousins and people with circles of friends and workmates, who now have an empty space where that person used to be.

There will be no birthday parties, graduations, new jobs or promotions to celebrate. Instead there will be a grave or a memorial spot, and dreadful days when birthdays or anniversaries will be marked, not with joy, but with an aching sadness.

These are the other people who have died this year. We republish these five names because they are not just statistics. They are people with lives which have been cut short. Three other victims have not been named yet, but they should be; they deserve nothing less:

• Adam Tavares, 51, died on January 22

• Wilton Woolridge Jr, 52, was involved in a crash on January 31 and died of his injuries on February 18

• Leroy Smith, 43 died on April 30

• Laquan Thomas, 30, died on May 19

• Three unnamed riders died on April 25, May 18 and June 1

What makes this most painful is that virtually all of these deaths were, at some level, avoidable. Someone — whether it was the victims themselves or someone else involved in the collision — could have driven more slowly, paid more attention or chosen not to drive at all. Getting to the scene of a collision minutes later could have resulted in an uneventful ride.

It is also notable that all of the dead were on motorcycles, either as riders or, as in Siena Frankson’s case, as a pillion passenger.

Since seatbelts were made mandatory in 2000, deaths of people in cars have dropped to almost zero, although road deaths alone are not the whole story; while this is the statistic that gets the most attention, the number of people who receive life-changing injuries from collisions is many times higher and the loss in terms of quality of life, contributions to the community and work and the cost to families and the overall economy is massive.

Every day there are crashes and collisions that result in minor injuries or no injuries. But even then, there are costs. There are still hospital and doctor‘s visits. Bikes and cars need to be repaired. Valuable time is spent processing accident scenes by police. Roads are closed or diverted. In aggregate, the financial and emotional costs are massive.

As with the introduction of seatbelts and mandatory helmets, actions have been taken in the past which have resulted in a dramatic drop in fatalities and an improvement in road safety generally as the chart shows.

The problem now is that there is no single step that can be taken which would have a similar effect. It is also noteworthy that none of those steps were taken without opposition.

Finally, speed cameras are due to be introduced in September. They are long overdue and it is not entirely clear why they have been so many years in the making, but clearly they were not considered to be important enough.

But speed cameras alone will not end the carnage on the roads. Enforcement has to follow. If people think that they will not made to pay the tickets they receive, then no amount of speed cameras will matter. Those people who instinctively obey the law, will be conscious of cameras; those who do not will ignore them.

In addition, it does not appear that there are enough speed cameras being deployed to make a measurable difference. Just 19 devices, according to the most recent reporting, will be put on the streets. That’s an average of two per parish.

In London, where speeding is vigorously enforced, there are many more cameras in place, and if Bermuda is serious about road safety, it needs to do the same.

The Government also needs to move forward with legislation to make the cameras effective. The Government has been working on legislation for more than a year. If it wants to get this system in place by September, it needs to put legislation in Parliament now.

The Government also has to think seriously about raising penalties for traffic infractions, including for impaired driving. Too many collisions involve alcohol or drugs and the penalties are not acting as a deterrent. Enforcement also has to increase. The Police are asked to apply their resources for a string of crimes, including violent crime. But traffic has to be more of a priority. Too many people are dying.

Engine sizes in motorbikes also have to be looked at. This will not go down well with vehicle sellers, but the reality is that the bikes on the road today are much more powerful than those of 20 or more years ago, but the roads have not changed — and may well be in worse condition. The Government needs to consider returning to only 80cc and 100cc bikes, with the knowledge that this will reduce the variety of bikes available.

That will be a challenge for some sellers, but the price Bermuda is paying is too high.

There will be some who will say that the real way to save lives is for people to take personal responsibility and there is some merit in this. But it is not happening. To make it happen will require enforcement of the law and the actions of the Government to make clear what is required.

Waiting for people to wake up and exercise more care is a fool’s errand. Now is the time for action.