March 13, 2013Dear Sir,Reading today’s front page heading “Island’s roads in state of disrepair after Government repeatedly fails to meet resurfacing targets” of The Royal Gazette, (Wednesday, March 13, 2013) I am poised to express opinion about the state of disrepair and often disastrous conditions of our Island roads. I was part of an accident which occurred on Harrington Sound Road on Sunday, December 30, 2012. I was the taxi driver travelling westerly who crashed into two oncoming vehicles in easterly bound direction. On that lengthy curvy piece of highway between Paynters Road/Harrington Sound Road and the former Leamington Cave entrance, accidents have occurred involving private cars, taxis and vans in the past.During nice weather everyone enjoys the scenery, but when it rains this curve becomes a nightmare. Not everybody knows that the Works and Engineering repair garage and yard is located on the north-eastern side with two exits/entrances. In addition a considerable difference in road surface adhesion keeps changing between the old grey stony surface which is extremely slippery and dangerous, as well the new black asphalt of good surface adhesion. All those mentioned are dangerous contributing factors in accidents. Once up on a time Harrington Sound and South Road were floral routes, a major tourism attraction. Unfortunately after the takeover by progressive and aggressive developers the ambience of Bermuda has been replaced with concrete. The aggregate had to be hauled throughout the Island using overloaded, super-sized trucks. Bermuda’s roads have never been designed or constructed for such huge weight, causing deep ruts which are very dangerous for the smaller vehicles driven by the general public with their much narrower wheel base. That leaves three questions: Whose responsibility is it to reinstate the proper conditions? Secondly who pays for it? Thirdly, where have the highway engineers been in the past?We have witnessed the breakaway of supporting walls near the sea side, and bus stops with lengthy stretches of cracked ruts to the left. Certainly not in the middle where the roads are at strongest due to the fact original roads have been constructed higher in the middle for water run-off to either side. Now roads are more level, heavier trucks groove ruts and valleys with cracks. Every time it rains, water accumulates and washes oily substances from leaking vehicles into it. A cracked area becomes a puddle, a sump and an oil reservoir. When the rain recedes the oil is still to the surface, vehicles pick up the oils and become unstable, causing drivers to lose control. The causes for the accidents near Leamington Caves have been a number of lengthy oil sumps. When I slid across the road into oncoming traffic, it resulted in a three car collision. Advocates and politicians alike must stop using the low down excuse of speeding; speed is not always the issue. When you travel at low speed the causes are roads in a state of disrepair, and sliding on oil from vehicles. Safer roads must be a priority!LEOPOLD KUCHLER