Motorcyclist on danger list

Four motorists were injured early yesterday morning, one critically, rounding off a bloody weekend on the roads.

A 37-year-old man from San Gwann sustained life-threatening injuries after losing control of his motorbike as he was riding through the Birkirkara bypass yesterday morning.

The police said the motorbike skidded on some substance as it was negotiating a roundabout. The rider lost control and crashed against a barrier.

Earlier, three people were taken to hospital following an accident in Council of Europe Road, Luqa.

The police said that a 28-year-old man from Zurrieq somehow lost control of his Hyundai vehicle and rammed a tree. A 28-year-old woman and a four-year-old girl were passengers in the vehicle.

An ambulance took all three to hospital where they were found to be suffering from slight injuries. They are being kept in hospital for further observation.

Duty Magistrate Joe Cassar was informed of both cases and appointed a number of experts to help him in the inquiry. The Birkirkara and Luqa district police are investigating.

On Saturday, a 25-year-old motorcyclist died in a traffic accident on the coast road near Salina and his pillion driver suffered serious injuries.

It was the third traffic fatality involving a motorcyclist this year. Motorcycle accidents accounted for 10.7 per cent of all accidents in the first quarter this year, according to the National Statistics Office.

Traffic expert Joe Micallef Stafrace highlighted the need for an ongoing traffic media campaign, coupled with strict enforcement, in order to shock drivers into safety.

"Rather than concentrating on just dishing out tickets to badly parked cars, the authorities should do their utmost to instil some discipline in driving," he said.

Traffic campaigns in the past had, after all, yielded the desired results. For example, accidents at roundabouts had plummeted following an intensive media educational campaign highlighting who has the right of way. Such campaigns should especially be aimed at teenagers and parents.

Another campaign should be aimed at pedestrians, Dr Micallef Stafrace said, because their irresponsible antics often led to accidents.

Analysing the increasing number of accidents in recent weeks, Dr Micallef Stafrace said there was no fixed pattern. "Normally, however, when accidents take place after 1 a.m. there is an element of tiredness involved and sometimes alcohol is to blame. Cutting down on speed is a must. Drivers have to realise that other people's lives are also at risk."

Dr Micallef Stafrace said that changing the structure of roads would do little to reduce the number of accidents. However, he noted, it was no secret that most of the tarmac used in Malta made cars more prone to skidding.