The new head of the Road Safety Council has been cited for driving with a suspended licence and several other traffic offences in California in the United States, can reveal. And Dr. Christopher Lynn Johnson has also been hit with a number of sizeable California state and US Federal tax liens between 1997 and 2004.

Dr. Johnson ? who shortly after his appointment to the voluntary position of RSC chair in February described bad or irresponsible driving as a ?largely preventable disease? ? was cited for traffic violations on four separate occasions between November, 1999 and July, 2001.

When first contacted about the citations last week, Dr. Johnson laughed and then said he did not remember them.

In a subsequent phone conversation, Dr. Johnson said he had come out of surgery before the first conversation and had not answered the questions in the way he wanted to. ?It is true. I do have traffic tickets and I have, period,? Dr. Johnson admitted. ?It is not acceptable, but I did pay them. I did clear my record. It was wrong then and wrong now. That is the bottom line.?

On November 3, 1999 the County of San Bernardino Sheriff?s Department cited Dr. Johnson for driving with a suspended license, expired registration, no registration in his vehicle and no proof of insurance. He pleaded guilty to the latter three charges and paid a fine.

Dr. Johnson said while he did not remember that far back, he believed he had been driving someone else?s car and they did not have insurance.

?I did have some traffic tickets and I didn?t know my licence was suspended and I took care of all of it. I never went to jail or had a major traffic accident or anything of the like,? he said.

Eight months later on July 21, 2000, San Bernardino officers cited Dr. Johnson for failing to obey a red signal light.

According to court documents he signed up for traffic school ? a programme that allows certain violators to receive instruction in driving and traffic safety.

Dr. Johnson said: ?Some of the tickets I disputed and they were thrown out and one of the solutions was driving school which again was a great experience for me. It was really good for me.?

Two months later on September 6, 2000, San Bernardino sheriffs pulled him over again and cited him for failing to stop at a stop sign and passing on the right. Eleven months after that, July 31, 2001, Dr. Johnson was cited for driving while his licence was suspended and no proof of insurance. Both counts were dismissed ?in the interest of justice?.

When challenged on the number of tickets received in such a short period of time when others can drive for a lifetime without any violations, Dr. Johnson said: ?I was a very busy trauma surgeon going from hospital to hospital to hospital and I rushed way too much and I had to learn from that.

?There is a lesson for that with everybody. I really appreciated coming to Bermuda where things are much slower and I don?t have so much distance to go but there is a lesson for everybody ? if I don?t slow down I will lose my licence.?

Dr. Johnson added that he paid all of the tickets and left California with his licence in good standing. The investigation has shown however, that he did not leave California in good standing in relation to his taxes.

The doctor was the subject of five state and two federal tax liens between 1997-2004. Liens are placed on an individual when past-due taxes, fees and/or penalties are owed but have not been paid. Dr. Johnson also insisted that all of the liens had been ?taken care of?.

?I run a multimillion dollar business and I don?t have problems with that,? he said.

Last week the State of California had three active liens against Dr. Johnson. A lien for $23,149 dated September 1998, as well as a lien for $57,651 dated March, 2000 and a third lien for $84,557 dated April 2002 remain on the state?s active files although the board was unwilling to disclose the amounts remaining to be paid on each lien.

Another state tax lien for $28,255 and dated August 27, 1997 had been satisfied. was unable to confirm whether two federal tax liens issued by the US Internal Revenue Service were still active. Those liens dated May 10, 2004 were in the sums of $3,295 and $22,885.

Dr. Johnson said the liens were irrelevant to his position on the Council and added that since taking over the position: ?I haven?t spent a single dime allocated by me so it is a non-issue.?

As for the Council?s taxpayer funded $140,000 budget, he said: ?First of all there is no budget. Right now all the money has been dealt with and spent. We?re actually going to have to do fundraising.?

Dr. Johnson added that no money can be spent by the Council without approval of the head of TCD and a safety officer.