Shocking standard of driving

Keith Chircop

May 8th 2008, 16:57

Drivers in places with high population densities are all the same, whether Mr. Spiteri likes it or not.

Joseph Spiteri

May 8th 2008, 07:11

Amazing how most try to justify the erratic driving in Malta because the same act in another country may be the same or worse than locally.

Should we not be concerned with improving our lot instead of burying our head in imported sand, stop defending these immature elements, insist that the laws be enforced and stop being, as the saying goes, "ferhanin ghax cwiec"

marika mifsud

May 7th 2008, 21:47

I`m not defending Malta`s drivers - but has anyone been to Naples recently? We were on a cruise and when explaining about the excursions, the cruise director said you had to dodge cars to cross and drivers didn`t bother about zebra crossings or lights. I don`t think we are that bad here.

John Schembri

May 7th 2008, 19:29

"the worst I have seen in any other part of the world." Can Mr Ellis tell us which parts of the world he visited? I visited England several times and I saw cars speeding when the traffic lights turn red. And can the gentleman enlighten us why the speed camera business is thriving in the UK? Drivers all over the world are growing impatient. In the UK one would not see any death memorials on the roadside , it does not mean there are no fatal road accidents.

Keith Chircop

May 7th 2008, 19:21

@A. Saliba Those clips of Clarkson are priceless. Thanks for the recommendation :)

Albert Ellul

May 7th 2008, 16:49

Prior to the launch of the VRT tests I used to joke that all cars in Malta must drive with their hazard lights on, 50% because of the car and 50% because of the driver. Now that VRT testing has made our cars technically safe, it seems that we still need to have 50% of our drivers driving their car with its hazard lights on, since they are a hazard to themselves and to others. Our problem stems from the fact that our wardens and police are more bent on giving parking tickets, (what I call static policing) than booking the errant driver (dynamic policing). But lets be fair with ourselves, we do have one of the lowest road mortality rates in Europe, at least that was a statistic that that I read some months ago.

A. Saliba

May 7th 2008, 16:14

I agree wholeheartedly with Keith Chircop. One must compare Malta to an extremely busy, incredibly dense city, and not a small town like Sidmouth. As Mr. Chircop said, drivers in cities like Rome, London, and Paris are just as mad as the Maltese. Saying that most of the comments here are peurile is an understament... many want to lead people to believe that there's something inherently "wrong" with Maltese people or their culture or whatever, but this has nothing to do with the genetic makeup of our populace, neither does it have anything to do with our culture or our driving tests or our way of life. It has to do with one thing: population density.

Mr. Chircop is wrong on one thing though: The National speed limit on arterial roads is 80km/hr and 50km/hr in urban areas, unless stated otherwise.

I highly recommend Jeremy Clarkson's "Motorworld" episodes, particularly the ones on India and Italy, both of which are viewable on the internet. "Reckless driving" takes on a whole new meaning...

Eric Camilleri

May 7th 2008, 15:36

Dear Liam, Dear Mr Mallia
You seem to have not read well my sarcasm which was not at all meant to be "funny" and immature. Point I wanted to ironically make to Mr Ellis is that both "rules" are a reality in Malta. Ask any Turist, ask any Lady ! In case anyone misinterpets what I meant, the fact is that driving in Malta is appaullingly dangerous and not due to how sane drivers get along on our disastrous roads, but how most ignorant hooligans drive. This includes some heavy vehicles who's drivers cannot compute the tragedy they hold in their hands should something go wrong with their vehicle especially at their incredibly reckless speeds even in built up areas. Going back to maturity, what compelled me to reply to Mr Ellis' letter was my yesterday's experience just out of the St Venera tunnels, thanks to 3 youths inside a blue metallic Astra sedan (who's number plate details I have) who found it pleasant to drive along the whole tunnel drifting sideways from one lane to another until at one point they nearly lost control causing panic amongst all other drivers, including myself who all had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by these holigans. As for "funny", unless our Laws are changed and punishments for reckless driving continue to be ridiculous, then these situations will continue.

Keith Chircop

May 7th 2008, 15:08

I was mistaken:

Speed Limit on Open Roads 80kmh (50mph)
Speed Limit in Towns 50kmh (30mph)

(from http://www.nationaldrivesafe.co.uk)

Liam Kelly

May 7th 2008, 13:49

Unfortunatly Eric this is no laughing matter - its a bad culture which is costing life after life yet we all sit by, morbidly appreciating the photos and shamefully accepting it as part of Maltese life.

Its a shame that the lady had such a lovely holiday on our island overshadowed by such mindless stupidity and blatant disregard for the laws of the road. Shame on us.

C J Allen

May 7th 2008, 13:22

I reckon Russell hasn't visited either Gibraltar or West Yorkshire where the driving is just as bad. It may be coincidental, but it seems to me that bad road surfaces equate to bad driving.
When leaving Gibraltar for Spain, or West Yorkshire for North Yorkshire, road surfaces improve, and so do driving standards!

Keith Chircop

May 7th 2008, 13:05

Traffic-wise, Malta is comparable to a busy city, not to a country. Driving is just a chaotic as it is in London or Rome.

The speed limits are 40kmh in urban areas and 60/70kmh on the long straights. People drive at 60km and 80kmh, respectively - unless there's a speed camera, of course. That's all there is to it.

Worst driving in the world?
Have you ever been to India where, on the road, might is right?
Have you ever tried to use a zebra crossing in Palermo? You're still alive so I guess you haven't. In Palermo motorcyclists use pavements as short cuts.

With regards to the number of casualties, what's the population density in your area, Mr Ellis?

Mark A. Mallia

May 7th 2008, 11:53

Dear Mr. Camilleri

These might be your rules but not of the average sane minded, mature individual. I happen to drive around to work in a motorbike and always on the lookout for "funny' individuals such as yourself.

Please next time restrain such silly and immature comments

Tony Gatt

May 7th 2008, 11:25

Dear Eric

That explains it! When I come to Malta driving a tourist car I let everybody pass me now.

When I was learning to drive in London, my instructor told me to drive carefully-"Imagine everyone else on the road is mad" he said. As regards Malta, I think he was right!

Adrian Allain

May 7th 2008, 10:52

Many years ago, when the British forces were stationed in Malta, servicemen were allowed to take a duty free car home to the UK, provided that they had owned it in Malta for over a year.
An RAF sergeant bought a new car just a year before he was due to return to the UK. He kept it on the base at Luqa and continued to use his old car when driving around Malta.
At the end of his tour of duty, he left Malta and had his precious car shipped to the UK.
He collected his car from the London docks and had stopped at traffic lights at Marble Arch when he was hit very hard from behind.. The boot of his precious car was smashed in.
He got out to exchange insurance details with the offending driver, and yes.....he was Maltese.

Herbert Guillaumier

May 7th 2008, 10:23

I bet that Mr Ellis has never heard the saying that goes this way: Maltese drivers are the best drivers on earth as they don't drive on the right, neither do they drive on the left. But they drive in the shade.

Gordon Cook

May 7th 2008, 10:20

Eric ,you also forgot to mention that the first rule of driving in Malta is that there are no rules.
You are only likely to be fined for using a mobile phone when in a traffic jam or not wearing a seatbelt on a roundabout when a warden is illegally parked there! all other offences seem to go unnoticed.
We desparately need traffic police on the road.

Sarah-Jane Gatt

May 7th 2008, 10:13

Dear Mr Ellis

You must also understand that any extras in cars in Malta have to be paid for, where you take indicators and brake lights for granted, here they are not standard issue and are only used in extreme cases, and if a driver has them added to his car, they are either ex pats, tourists or over 40;

Also being stuck in the fast lane with someone doing less than the speed limit is asking for being overtaken on the inside, knowing full well these are all illegal in other countries, as for female drivers!!! Malta is a country where egos drive and brains don't:

And before any ones ego gets the better of them, does anyone know the statistics of accidents of men and women drivers, the would be extremely interesting.

Eric Camilleri

May 7th 2008, 09:09

Dear Mr Ellis
You do not seem to have been aware of two of our local golden driving rules.
1. Driving tourists (K plates) must be overtaken at all costs.
2. Never trust female drivers, they too must be overtaken at all costs.
That is the reason you where overtaken simultaneously by two adjacent cars.
Hope this makes things clearer.