More than 400 people appear in Magistrates' Court every week charged with traffic offences.

But acting senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves said although both the Traffic and Plea courts were constantly filled with people on speeding and driving infractions, he saw no evidence to suggest that motoring crimes were on the increase - and instead said they appeared to be dropping.

Traffic Court is held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week, with hundreds passing through on each occasion to pay the consequences of their mistakes.

And then every day in Plea Court there are additional traffic defendants who have to answer to the judicial system, too.

"We will average between 150 and 200 on each of these two days in Traffic Court," said Mr. Greaves.

"And on some mornings we will get about 30 traffic offences in Plea Court, so they really do take up a large percentage of the court's time.

"But I cannot say that during my time in Bermuda I have seen anything in Traffic Court to be alarmed about. And I can't say there is any increase in traffic offences, or any offences for that matter, coming before the court. If they are increasing, I don't think they are coming before the court.

"If anything, they are decreasing."

However, Mr. Greaves said he had set up such an efficient system in dealing with traffic misdemeanours that the process was swift and painless, so even if there were more offences being committed, he probably would not notice.

He has the 'conveyor belt' of Traffic Court down to such a fine art now, he can deal with 200 cases in about an hour. But he said all cases coming before the courts seemed to be down on previous years, including criminal cases, which would bear out Police figures.

"We are hearing a lot about people dying on the roads, but I can't say from my position on the bench that I have seen an increase in traffic bad behaviour," he added.

"As a matter of fact, it seems as though people are behaving better. If you look at the number of trials I'm required to do, I have found there is a decrease - although it could be that more people are pleading guilty these days. But I'm predicting that we will see a big drop in crime (statistics) by the end of this year because Magistrates' Court is just not as busy."

Speeding fines in Bermuda increase, depending on the speed of the vehicle. A person stopped at 50kph will be fined $120, at 60kph $225, and so on.

However, according to the law, anyone found doing 63kph or more could be disqualified from the roads for up to six months, although this never happens, with the magistrates choosing instead to disqualify motorists when they are found doing in excess of 70kph.

Where the defendant has notched up more than one speeding offence, then the fine is increased accordingly.

Minor traffic offences demand a $250 fine, as does driving without due care and attention and dangerous driving.

And for those found driving while impaired, a $1,000 fine awaits, along with a compulsory ban from driving all vehicles for a year. While, people found driving while disqualified will also be fined $1,000. All of these aforementioned fines are dependent on guilty pleas. If the accused pleads not guilty and goes to trial and is then found guilty, they may well be given harsher sentences.

But although the fine is doled out, that does not necessarily mean that they are automatically paid. Out of 164 cases dealt with in Traffic Court two weeks ago, which should have seen fines paid by the end of that same week, about 30 cases were outstanding and brought back before the magistrate for warrants to be signed on the Monday. "I think a lot of people don't pay on time," said Mr. Greaves.

"But the amount of people paying on time has substantially increased since I have been sitting here. In saying that, there are still too many who do not pay on time. But we have devised a system that appears to be very efficient, so if people do not pay their fine on time, within a day or so the warrants are on my desk and I sign them immediately. We are always up to date when it comes to warrants."

Mr. Greaves said all minor traffic offences could be dealt with outside of the courts, with offenders merely being ticketed and then paying a fine, as in many jurisdictions.

But he said he believed demanding that people appeared in court had a greater impact on offenders. "All the traffic offences could be done without appearing in court and many of the minor offences could be done by people just coming here to pay their fines, too" he said.

"But in my view that may create twice the work because people will still not pay. If you have to face the magistrate in court, it sometimes has a better effect on people and so they will pay up. We also want people not to repeat their mistakes and come back a second time.

"If making them appear in court has that affect, then it has to be a good thing."