The question has to be asked: how many people have to die on our roads before drivers change their behaviour?

Alarm bells are already ringing in the Police force just six weeks into the new year.

Nine people have lost their lives on our roads so far this year, in eight crashes. For the same period last year, five people had lost their lives. And, people are still not taking this seriously.

Director Traffic Senior Superintendent of Police Mahesh Mishra is on record saying that every year 50,000 traffic infringements are recorded. Some drivers are cited more than once for breaking road rules.

What is the real problem here? These accidents have been attributed to speeding and reckless driving.

And, as Senior Superintendent Mishra puts it, the bad attitude of drivers, who have disregard for other road users.

Are our fines enough to act as a deterrent? It does not seem so.

Despite many drivers facing penalties for continuous disregard of road rules, they speed on.

A very concerned Senior Superintendent Mishra noted that on any given day, there are about 100 of his officers on traffic duties, pulling shifts of eight to 12 hours. They are trying to nail those who drive above speed limits and those who blatantly disregard the road laws.

Yet, we have people speeding like there is no tomorrow. Which does become true in cases of fatal crashes.

With major road upgrades taking shape around the nation, more drivers are likely to drive over the speed limit.

Where are we going wrong that every year more and more people are losing their lives on our roads?

No matter how many campaigns the Land Transport Authority or the Fiji Police Force undertake, people will continue to lose lives on the roads if we fail to follow the safety basics.

Why is it so difficult for some to drive within speed limits?

Why is it so difficult for some not to follow the road rules?

Why is it so difficult for many not to jaywalk?

Why should we wait to lose someone close to us to realise that speed really does kill?

It could be any one of us. Unless we change ourselves, people will continue to lose their lives on our roads.

Kudos to those Police officers who brave rain and heat to police our roads. But, the onus remains with all of us, with you and me, to change attitudes.

And with our legislators to do what has been done so successfully in countries like New Zealand. Introduce penalties and policing with real pain.

Better more pain for the idiots than more people dying.