Accidents continue to plague our roads. Three days ago, two buses were involved in a violent crash causing forty factory workers and pupils to be injured. Two days ago, the same pattern: two buses were involved in a spectacular crash causing 36 slightly injured persons among which pupils from SSS Bel Air. A sign - once more - that it is high time for concrete measures instead of useless ?blah, blah, blah?.

The figures for the first half of the year 2004 are frightening: according to the Road and Safety Unit (RSU) data, there have been

62 deaths due to road accidents from 1 January to 15 June ? an increase of 13% compared to last year. In 2003 already, there were 19,178 road accidents reported to the Police among which 121 were fatal and 211 caused serious injuries. The situation is getting worse and there are reasons to worry.

The road safety unit?s prevention campaigns and educational programmes are undoubtedly laudable. Spot checks are certainly a good initiative but authorities should be restrict them to strategic places - where it is really dangerous to drive fast ? to avoid the perception that the police do spot checks just to ?increase their pay packet?.

Dr Ben Veeraragoo, a company doctor, recently highlighted the urgent need to initiate measures to regulate the long working hours of drivers and the absence of tests to ascertain the ability and fitness of people driving lorries or school vans.

But the authorities should deal without delay with the absence of barriers between the opposite lanes on the motorways. Bougainvillées are certainly a very pleasant sight. A touch of greenery and brightness on the grey motorway is enjoyable but it is not enough as protection. Moreover, at some specific parts of the motorway, such barriers do not prevent from having flowers but they could well prevent fatal accidents like the latest one two weeks ago.

The accident at Bagatelle, which caused four deaths, could probably not have been avoided but it might at least have saved lives if there were such barriers. Of course, the damage is done and it is so easy to be wise after the event. The objective rather to avoid future crashes of such violence. This one is not the first but it should be the last.

The truck driver is adamant that he was driving at some 40km/h and we have no reason to doubt his word. The car driver who died in the accident was probably driving within the speed limit. The fact is that a crash between two vehicles going at 50 km/h could still be of extreme violence. Accidents occurring on the motorways are not the most frequent ones but are very violent ? maybe the most violent.

The authorities have made efforts to reduce the number of accidents by increasing safety on our roads. The best example is the footbridges over the motorway for pedestrians to cross in a safer way. The authorities are not responsible if pedestrians still prefer to cross the motorway.

But the barriers are the responsibility of the authorities and they should make it a duty to erect them. In the national interest.