Drastic measures are needed to combat the road traffic fatalities and the alarming increase in road traffic accidents, according to Government Senator Wayne Caines.

Speaking in the Senate, the politician passionately made the plea after highlighting that two weeks ago, there were 46 road accidents and two fatalities — in one weekend.

"We are informed that last year, there were more than 4,000 road traffic accidents and more than 13 road fatalities. This is a trend that is not only alarming, but it's starting to affect almost each and every family," said Sen. Caines.

Sen. Caines highlighted a list of recommendations that the Road Safety Council recently made to the Minister of Transport as amendments to current road legislation — which he has endorsed.

They include: A graduated licence scheme for all new auxiliary cycle riders; the project ride programme increasing from 11 to 20 hours of instruction; going from one to two written exams being required before a person gets their licence; novice riders in their first year will not be able to tow pillion passengers; novice riders cannot ride after 11 p.m.; and, must bear a specific licence plate that will indicate that they are a novice rider.

Sen. Caines added: "We are desperate to change the driving and riding culture in Bermuda.

"We, in consultation, with road safety officer Roxanne Christopher, and in consultation with the road safety council led by Dr. Christopher Johnson, have been going to the schools in Bermuda to stress the need for proper road use."These (drastic measures) must be done because we are losing too many young people to too many accidents we want these changes to be made to save our young people from themselves."Sen. Caines used the analogy of having a place in Bermuda where every week, when people walked by it, a brick fell off the building and hit someone in the head and they died."Someone would say something that something has to be done about that building and that brick falling off and killing someone every week."We've seen in Bermuda that every two or three months we are losing someone on our roads to a road traffic accident there has to be a change in the culture in how we drive and ride."Furthermore, he called on parents in Bermuda to take more responsibility in terms of limiting and punishing their children if "they hear from a credible adult or family member that their child is riding recklessly or overtaking."