Premier Ewart Brown last night outlined his latest plan to curb Bermuda's alarming road death rate but hardly anyone was there to see him do it.

Fifteen members of the public were dotted sparsely amid hundreds of empty seats at Berkeley Institute Catetorium for a public meeting on the new graduated licence scheme targeting young motorcyclists.

Those that turned up discovered teenaged bikers will be banned from riding between midnight and 5 a.m. as part of a string of measures to ensure they aren't allowed a full licence until they have better road skills.

They must also complete two hours on-road instruction, remain free of all convictions and will not be allowed to carry passengers before they graduate to a full licence.

It is hoped this will lead to better responsibility among young riders and give them time to develop their skills, without taking away their freedom and independence.

Dr. Brown told the audience he understood from his own youth the temptations of driving recklessly."When I was 16 or 17, I'm not going to stand here and tell you I rode at 20 miles per hour in a straight line all the time.

I did stupid things on the road," said the Premier andTransport Minister."But guess what? There were one-third of the vehicles on the road when I was 16 than there are today."

He said this meant the chance of poor driving resulting in crashes is now much greater.

Three young men have died on Bermuda's roads in the past month, including 24-year-old James Smith last week, while 2008's total of 17 road fatalities was the worst in a decade.

Dr. Brown said:"In spite of what you might hear in some quarters, the Government is very concerned about the loss of life.

"Rather than try to constantly express our concern, we are trying to do something about it. I have been Minister of Tourism for ten years and I have seen this cycle."

He said the graduated licence scheme would help bring about a shift away from a culture of careless driving, but warned it would take three or four years before a significant change is seen.

Dr. Brown and his entourage, Junior Transport Minister Marc Bean, the meeting's organisers and a newspaper reporter helped boost Berkeley Cafetorium's attendance to about 25. I

t had been aimed at parents and their children.Sen. Bean told the meeting:"Too often we make a mistake of thinking that our young people automatically know how to take care of themselves on the roads.

We are losing too many of you, youths and adults.

Hopefully tonight will result in one less loss of life."Road Safety Council chairman Christopher Johnson said:"The fact that we are challenged with what I consider to be a public health crisis goes without saying.

We are all currently challenged to rise to the occasion."

Asked by a member of the audience how the system would help protect young motorcyclists from the poor riding of older people, tourists and expats, Dr. Johnson said that there were other plans in the pipeline targeting other road users.