Car Torque - Double carriageway roads
From time to time we have a little moan about the incredible difficulty a section of our motoring community has when deciding where to place their cars when they come upon, and then use, roads with two lanes in either direction.If we start with the...
From time to time we have a little moan about the incredible difficulty a section of our motoring community has when deciding where to place their cars when they come upon, and then use, roads with two lanes in either direction.
If we start with the outer lane, the one to the right of the driver, it must be clearly understood that it most certainly should not be described as the'fast lane'.
The outer lane may be used to overtake slower moving vehicles, or to make use of when approaching a turning or junction to the right that you wish, or need to use. Or, on a 'need to use' basis. For example, when using the Birkirkara bypass during rush hours and the inner lane is nose to tail, but even then make sure that if you're turning left or right that you have used your mirrors and signals early so that you get into the correct traffic lane without causing inconvenience or annoyance to fellow motorists.
In these uncertain times, try and drive so that you are not the cause of road rage, otherwise you might possibly be unfortunate enough to be singled out and thumped by bad-tempered motorists that you have annoyed, or even mildly irritated.
The inner lane should always be used until it becomes desirable to overtake the vehicle in front of you, and then using the MSM technique (mirror, signal, manoeuvre) go past, and then get back in lane as quickly and as smoothly as you can.
This should all be basic stuff, and yet recently, we are told, a potential driving instructor had no idea that the outer lane must be used as the overtaking lane and not a 'fast lane', purposely constructed for vehicles wishing to travel at the legal maximum speed.
Once in a while the police can be seen booking people who have used the outer lane incorrectly and, much as I hate discipline other than self-discipline based on safe driving techniques, I always raise a metaphorical 'cheer' when I see stupid people being drawn over and fined for what can be a very dangerous driving habit - principally because incorrect lane use leads to horrific roll-over accidents when following motorists get fed up and start lane jumping at speed.
Overtaking
Over 50 years ago, I fell into the trap when asked who causes the traffic jam in a solid line of vehicles. Unthinkingly most people answer that it is the lead vehicle, but in fact it is the second vehicle because the lead vehicle may well be a slow-moving lorry (20 mph maximum in Britain in those far-off days for trucks) and it was obligatory to overtake so that the queue could open up.
This, of course, was in a country that didn't have a mania for painting continuous lines for many kilometres at a time.
It was, and still is, obligatory over here for the lead vehicle to pull over from time to time so that the waiting traffic can continue on its uninterrupted way. However, in Malta it seems to have been decided at the highest levels that our glorious new roads should, wherever possible, be narrowed to one lane in either direction without the addition of regular 'lay-bys'.
This wouldn't matter quite so much if the architects and experts responsible for painting lines on the highways had taken note of a memo agreed to on April 18, 2006, where it was acknowledged that the ADT had entrusted roads on a design and build system and contractors appeared to have taken it upon themselves to paint carriageway markings whether they had the necessary skills or not.
This notwithstanding, various areas of continuous line were to be broken on at least one side, working on the lines of the New Zealand Highways Authority, where the speed limits are similar to our 80 km/h limit and where a clear 100 metres of road must be left from the end of the overtaking area to the vision restricted corner.
The relevant experts in the ADT had agreed to this and yet, almost a year, on the Burmurrad/Rabat road is still the subject of immense traffic queues as nothing has yet materialised.
Had the ADT been in complete control from the start of the various programmes, there would have undoubtedly been lengths of road as we have on the TRL-designed Coast Road where overtaking from one direction or the other, or even both directions is allowed wherever this team of British experts had deemed it safe to do so.
On a happier note, our Gozitan cousins use broken centre lines wherever its safe and the pleasure derived from using the new stretch from the Ta' Pinu turning to Victoria really has to be sampled in both directions to get the most satisfaction from this stretch of road.
There are other main roads in Gozo that have emulated the Zebbiegh/Mosta Road and broken centre lines appear to make for happy, safer motoring, and let it be said, better mannered drivers.
I actually put the blame for restricted overtaking on a sage within the ADT who has for years propounded the theory that Malta is so small that whether you speed or not it will only take a couple of minutes longer to reach your destination.
Speed limit rationalisation
In an article published in The Times on February 23 motorists were promised a 'driver-friendly' speed rationalisation programme. The writer of that article has, for the past 12 years, been deeply involved in speed limits, either as chairman of a board, or as a senior consultant to the ADT.
The efforts to control speed since 1995 have seen a few 10 km limits installed (Tarxien comes to mind as one of them). 15 km/h can be found on the approaches to the bridge on the road leading to Gharghur from the Coast road. A 20 km limit can be found in Zebbug, 25 km limits can be found in Lija.
The magnificent Mellieha by-pass is regulated down to 30 km. Sensitive areas of towns and villages (only) should have been regulated down to 35 km and we are told the Germans regulate their core village areas to a very slow speed as well.
Even the Brits have been experimenting with a very few village cores and a 20 mph limit. 40 km is in force at the Splash Park, 45 km can be found at Xemxija and through the Regional Road tunnels and on the newly completed Targa Gap to Rabat Road. Fifty km is the normal limit in towns and villages. 60 km has recently appeared on the main road up Saqqajja Hill into Rabat.
There is an ever-increasing number of 70 km areas, and at present 80 km is allowed out of town where no other speed restrictions are in place. What a tour de force indeed.
For what it's worth I will now propound my own suggestions on speed limit rationalisation, based on 53 years of serious motoring and 11 years in traffic management with the TCB, the ADT and as a consultant to various councils.
The first point to be made is that the speed limits must correspond to easily read speeds shown on the vehicle's speedometer, and as thousands of cars have mph with km in small figures it is imperative that the rationalisation programme has as few limits as possible.
I suggest to the ADT that the 35 km limit is abolished, and in core areas it's brought up to 40 km (25 mph). All other town and village streets would still be regulated by an unsigned, as its in the legal framework, 50 km (30 mph) limit, and out of town leave well alone at 80 km (50 mph).
Traffic has to be kept moving and drivers have to take responsibility for their own actions.
For a distance of no more than 150 metres a 50 km-speed limit should be in force at all traffic lights or pelican crossings.
Small, repeater speed limits must be placed where required, and end of speed limit signs must be placed correctly at the end of village or town limits.
Pedestrian priority zones need to be more seriously introduced with 'Dead Slow' markings and no fancy speed limits (like the 10 km, which simply doesn't read on most speedometers).
Speed/safety cameras, correctly painted yellow, should normally be placed within 80, or 50 km areas as I would suggest there is a horrible propensity among local motorists to disbelieve the authorities and slow down to no more than 55 km in 70 km camera areas and 40 km in 50 km camera-controlled areas.
Obviously other speed limits can be introduced on a purely temporary basis to accommodate work in progress etc, but the fewer restrictions there are, the more people will respect what has been done.
If we start with the outer lane, the one to the right of the driver, it must be clearly understood that it most certainly should not be described as the'fast lane'.
The outer lane may be used to overtake slower moving vehicles, or to make use of when approaching a turning or junction to the right that you wish, or need to use. Or, on a 'need to use' basis. For example, when using the Birkirkara bypass during rush hours and the inner lane is nose to tail, but even then make sure that if you're turning left or right that you have used your mirrors and signals early so that you get into the correct traffic lane without causing inconvenience or annoyance to fellow motorists.
In these uncertain times, try and drive so that you are not the cause of road rage, otherwise you might possibly be unfortunate enough to be singled out and thumped by bad-tempered motorists that you have annoyed, or even mildly irritated.
The inner lane should always be used until it becomes desirable to overtake the vehicle in front of you, and then using the MSM technique (mirror, signal, manoeuvre) go past, and then get back in lane as quickly and as smoothly as you can.
This should all be basic stuff, and yet recently, we are told, a potential driving instructor had no idea that the outer lane must be used as the overtaking lane and not a 'fast lane', purposely constructed for vehicles wishing to travel at the legal maximum speed.
Once in a while the police can be seen booking people who have used the outer lane incorrectly and, much as I hate discipline other than self-discipline based on safe driving techniques, I always raise a metaphorical 'cheer' when I see stupid people being drawn over and fined for what can be a very dangerous driving habit - principally because incorrect lane use leads to horrific roll-over accidents when following motorists get fed up and start lane jumping at speed.
Overtaking
Over 50 years ago, I fell into the trap when asked who causes the traffic jam in a solid line of vehicles. Unthinkingly most people answer that it is the lead vehicle, but in fact it is the second vehicle because the lead vehicle may well be a slow-moving lorry (20 mph maximum in Britain in those far-off days for trucks) and it was obligatory to overtake so that the queue could open up.
This, of course, was in a country that didn't have a mania for painting continuous lines for many kilometres at a time.
It was, and still is, obligatory over here for the lead vehicle to pull over from time to time so that the waiting traffic can continue on its uninterrupted way. However, in Malta it seems to have been decided at the highest levels that our glorious new roads should, wherever possible, be narrowed to one lane in either direction without the addition of regular 'lay-bys'.
This wouldn't matter quite so much if the architects and experts responsible for painting lines on the highways had taken note of a memo agreed to on April 18, 2006, where it was acknowledged that the ADT had entrusted roads on a design and build system and contractors appeared to have taken it upon themselves to paint carriageway markings whether they had the necessary skills or not.
This notwithstanding, various areas of continuous line were to be broken on at least one side, working on the lines of the New Zealand Highways Authority, where the speed limits are similar to our 80 km/h limit and where a clear 100 metres of road must be left from the end of the overtaking area to the vision restricted corner.
The relevant experts in the ADT had agreed to this and yet, almost a year, on the Burmurrad/Rabat road is still the subject of immense traffic queues as nothing has yet materialised.
Had the ADT been in complete control from the start of the various programmes, there would have undoubtedly been lengths of road as we have on the TRL-designed Coast Road where overtaking from one direction or the other, or even both directions is allowed wherever this team of British experts had deemed it safe to do so.
On a happier note, our Gozitan cousins use broken centre lines wherever its safe and the pleasure derived from using the new stretch from the Ta' Pinu turning to Victoria really has to be sampled in both directions to get the most satisfaction from this stretch of road.
There are other main roads in Gozo that have emulated the Zebbiegh/Mosta Road and broken centre lines appear to make for happy, safer motoring, and let it be said, better mannered drivers.
I actually put the blame for restricted overtaking on a sage within the ADT who has for years propounded the theory that Malta is so small that whether you speed or not it will only take a couple of minutes longer to reach your destination.
Speed limit rationalisation
In an article published in The Times on February 23 motorists were promised a 'driver-friendly' speed rationalisation programme. The writer of that article has, for the past 12 years, been deeply involved in speed limits, either as chairman of a board, or as a senior consultant to the ADT.
The efforts to control speed since 1995 have seen a few 10 km limits installed (Tarxien comes to mind as one of them). 15 km/h can be found on the approaches to the bridge on the road leading to Gharghur from the Coast road. A 20 km limit can be found in Zebbug, 25 km limits can be found in Lija.
The magnificent Mellieha by-pass is regulated down to 30 km. Sensitive areas of towns and villages (only) should have been regulated down to 35 km and we are told the Germans regulate their core village areas to a very slow speed as well.
Even the Brits have been experimenting with a very few village cores and a 20 mph limit. 40 km is in force at the Splash Park, 45 km can be found at Xemxija and through the Regional Road tunnels and on the newly completed Targa Gap to Rabat Road. Fifty km is the normal limit in towns and villages. 60 km has recently appeared on the main road up Saqqajja Hill into Rabat.
There is an ever-increasing number of 70 km areas, and at present 80 km is allowed out of town where no other speed restrictions are in place. What a tour de force indeed.
For what it's worth I will now propound my own suggestions on speed limit rationalisation, based on 53 years of serious motoring and 11 years in traffic management with the TCB, the ADT and as a consultant to various councils.
The first point to be made is that the speed limits must correspond to easily read speeds shown on the vehicle's speedometer, and as thousands of cars have mph with km in small figures it is imperative that the rationalisation programme has as few limits as possible.
I suggest to the ADT that the 35 km limit is abolished, and in core areas it's brought up to 40 km (25 mph). All other town and village streets would still be regulated by an unsigned, as its in the legal framework, 50 km (30 mph) limit, and out of town leave well alone at 80 km (50 mph).
Traffic has to be kept moving and drivers have to take responsibility for their own actions.
For a distance of no more than 150 metres a 50 km-speed limit should be in force at all traffic lights or pelican crossings.
Small, repeater speed limits must be placed where required, and end of speed limit signs must be placed correctly at the end of village or town limits.
Pedestrian priority zones need to be more seriously introduced with 'Dead Slow' markings and no fancy speed limits (like the 10 km, which simply doesn't read on most speedometers).
Speed/safety cameras, correctly painted yellow, should normally be placed within 80, or 50 km areas as I would suggest there is a horrible propensity among local motorists to disbelieve the authorities and slow down to no more than 55 km in 70 km camera areas and 40 km in 50 km camera-controlled areas.
Obviously other speed limits can be introduced on a purely temporary basis to accommodate work in progress etc, but the fewer restrictions there are, the more people will respect what has been done.