Traffic Congestion
Although traffic on the island has decreased slightly in recent years, Bermuda's traffic is very dense. To compound matters vehicles are getting bigger. In turn, a bigger car needs more gas to propel it, generating greater carbon monoxide emissions and increased air pollution. The trend of bigger and faster vehicles on the island cannot continue. Bermuda only has 123 miles of paved road and around 49,000 vehicles. With an increase in the number of vehicles on the island commuting times would be even longer in addition to an increased demand for gas and diesel. Vehicle emissions have an increasing effect on our quality of life; lowering air quality and making us more susceptible to respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and pneumonia, which all need medical treatment. This is a vicious cycle which will eventually result in increased insurance premiums. Ultimately, this chain of events, and those preceding it, are unsustainable.