Woman hit by car in Qormi, grievously injured

I. Cilia

Jul 28th 2008, 16:23

I think one should call a spade a spade... and actually verify what really happened before jumping to conclusions..

I think we have seen enough speed freaks and maniacs on the road driving at breakneck speed around Malta.

On the other hand we have seen irresponsible pedestrians crossing the roads 3 metres before or after a traffic lights or wherever they please really, mothers thrusting their pushchairs with children inside in order to encourage drivers to stop...

One can find all sorts today.... and each one has to shoulder his responsibility...
Being a driver I can understand the frustration of having pedestrians crossing whenever they please.... however i can also see irresponsible drivers ignoring zebra crossings and other signage like give ways and stop signs..

and on this matter comments like those of Liam Kelly do amuse me since one cannot always put the blame on the drivers... However I also like Mr Kelly extend my sympathies to Ms Galea since injuries of that type with the blame given to the drivers should be punished more substantially... a suspended sentence is a bit of a joke..

Liam Kelly

Jul 28th 2008, 11:24

Its the pedestrians fault,...
Its the slow drivers fault,...
its the speed cameras fault....,

Just WHAT excuse will you conjur up next? When will you run out of excuses? hunderds, throusands of lives have to be ruined before that tipping point is reached and people realise it is YOU who needs to SLOW DOWN? Some people are so, so cold.

Carmen, my prayers are with you and your brother; he is a victim of modern society which will let absolutly nothing and nobody stand in the way of their despirate, life or death need to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Good luck with your battle for some sort of compensation.

Joe Pace

Jul 28th 2008, 11:18

The biggest problem this country has is discipline: at work, in sport, at home, on the road. The lack of discipline can be seen in drivers AND pedestrains. We do not take things seriously "because nothing will ever happen to us". Then there is the attitude of "so what if I'm always 5 minutes late?"; "So what if I leave things to the last minute and then rush around like a mad-man"; "so what, so what, so what"! You see drivers making dangerous manouvres to over take one car and gain 2.5m in a traffic jam! People don't think ... and when they do, it is always "so what"! We need to discipline ourselves.

D fenech

Jul 27th 2008, 16:01

@A charles
You must be mixing with the wrong women and reading the wrong LEGENDS!

Don't generalise please! It doe not look good on YOU!

Daniel Goggi

Jul 27th 2008, 10:49

@ Carmen Galea

Dear Ms. Galea,

Whilst I may understand your anger and grief for the misfortune your brother suffered due to an incompetent and reckless driver, I feel that you are only pointing conveniently your index finger at one part of reality. I am a 24 year old driver who, thank God never had any sort of accident in my 6 year driving experience (so far).. However I was close on separate occasions when people just cross pelican lights on green, say at B'kara Bypass or Sliema's tower road. It is unheard of to cross the road from a blind spot and yet people do it.. It is unheard of to have people crossing the road from a roundabout, as it is also unheard of to cross the road in a junction! Rules have to be respected, speed limits (50km in urban areas) and stop signs observed, but even pedestrians have to make proper use of lights and zebras and for goodness sakes, make use of common sense. There is a whole section in the Highway code dedicated to pedestrians and bicycle riders too. I feel the driver may be a victim as much as the pedestrian sometimes.

Sandro Gatt

Jul 26th 2008, 17:19

Foot bridge or not, pedestrians still risk their life and cross. People crossing this road can easily avoid the risk by crossing the road under the bridge, in mill street [near Joinwell]. We have to educate the pedestrians as well, not just the drivers. Have you ever heard of a driver being compensated by a pedestrain who damaged his car? Please do not run into conslusions about the driver.

carmen galea

Jul 26th 2008, 16:30

My brother has been maimed for life and reduced from a healthy and energetic father of three to 100% incapacity. He is now "imprisoned" in bed at St Vincent de Paule hospital as he needs 24 hour assitance. And the (now) twenty year old culprit is still running around as free as a mad bird. His punishment was just a 3 year suspended sentence without a driving license and a fine paid (by his family) for reckless driving. My brother's "semi widow" must now fight it in the civil court agianst the insurers to some financial justice back.

That is the justice in this country.

The authorities must defenitley act quickly against young irrisponsible drivers before witnessing more innicent .victims

Anne Marie Bonello

Jul 26th 2008, 16:14

the training given now, to younger drivers, is way much better than what the older drivers ever had, nowadays u have to know how to drive to actually pas, unlike before!

A. Charles

Jul 26th 2008, 15:30

There is a legend which says that women are better drivers than men; I do not believe it. Women stop at the wrong places and at the wrong time but never at stop signs. They are becoming aggressive behind the wheel.

M. Carabott

Jul 26th 2008, 15:28

Mr. Psaila, so do you mean that any reckless driver over the age of 30 who causes harm to innocent people on the roads should not be punished?.

I think we are being prejudice.

C.Borg

Jul 26th 2008, 15:24

I agree with Nigel Lawrence: I dont think you should automatically blame the driver.........
Fair enough, I'm a young driver, and also almost hit a young tourist; he just randomly ran across the road (the St.Julians one near Pizza hut) without even looking. Thank God i was still getting used to the new car so I was going slowish; and in no way would have i seen this as my fault.
My point is, It isn't always the young drivers fault; jaywalkers who don't act sensibly are only putting themselves and others at risk. (yes, i know this has nothing to do with this article)

Mario Aquilina

Jul 26th 2008, 15:03

Perhaps before blaming the driver for careless driving or the woman for jay walking, one should know what actually happened!

Denis Catania

Jul 26th 2008, 14:50

@Eric Psalia Are you kidding, so the gentleman in the tunnel who is older than 30 is OK. I would not be affected from such stupid law, since I'm over 30. But did you think before you pressed submit. Could you tell us some laws we should pass? Since this one is so funny.

Anthony Aquilina

Jul 26th 2008, 14:30

Are you mad, they already made the driving license very hard to achieve. Lets start with all of you and redo your driving test, 99% won't pass, Pls leave yound drvers alone and watch your actions, dont judge!!

Michael Tabone

Jul 26th 2008, 14:26

@J. Tonna

Training for the liscense isn't the issue. I don't know if you've been in Malta in the past 4 years but the driving liscense is now extremely difficult to get. There are a set of rules which make it very easy to fail. Many of the rules are fine and then some are rediculous.

The real problem is a lack of enforcement. I told my cousin he shouldn't always be speeding when driving. He's already had several accidents, one could have potentially been really serious. He told me that it doesn't make a difference if you are speeding or not speeding, everyone does it and the police don't enforce the law of speeding. So the reason you can speed is because you can get away with it. But whats the reason you should speed is what everyone forgets. They just see a law and forget the purpose of that law, or think it wouldn't happen to them if they disregarded the law. Eventually it happens.

Anyway people of all ages, do wrecklace driving, not just under the age of 30. Problem is, under the age of 30 you are less experienced, and sometimes just unlucky.

Dennis Zammit

Jul 26th 2008, 14:07

Qormi Local Council has been asking for a foot bridge in the mentioned area for ages. So far nothing. Just an application with MEPA from ADT. Shall we wait for something else to happen?

Maruska Agius

Jul 26th 2008, 13:37

Re: Eric Psaila
so you suggest that if a person under 30 yrs of age is involved in a traffic accident her/his driving licence is wthdrawn and anyone over 30 yrs of age can drive wrecklessly, cause as much as he/she wants bodily harm to whomever is involved and they would still be able to drive?? don't understand what you mean!! Every case has to be taken separately and that is why a Magisterate always makes the inquiry.

Mel Schembri

Jul 26th 2008, 13:21

We shouldn't look at the age, we should look at the idiots driving on a residential road at more than 60... I am in my mid-twenties myself and I always take care of how I drive... but there are people out there who have no respect whatsoever for the people around them. So bring on the license with the deduction of points and tighter security on the roads (when a policeman sees an irregularity, cars should be stopped and points deducted) or else we will never learn!

Rita Spiteri

Jul 26th 2008, 13:17

Why do a lot of people assume that it is the young persons fault when it comes to driving I see a lot of old people who are a hazard on the road.

Sandro Agius

Jul 26th 2008, 13:16

From were you bring such ideas I cannot understand...I drive and I'm only 27 years of age but I drive according to the laws at normal speed and with great attention. The only trouble I found when an older person is driving...I never had trouble with others...I think its not the age which is creating such problems but the arrogance of people...not only man but also woman...who don't obey the rules and pretend to be the owners of the roads.

Rose Piccinino

Jul 26th 2008, 12:49

Why do we have to jump to conclusions when an accident happens? It is as much the responsibility of a driver as that of pedestrians when on the road. It is not fair to blame young drivers everytime an accident happens. Do you all forget that you may have obtained your driving license at a young age?!

There are many a young driver who are responsible for their actions. One cannot generalise just because of a small percentage. Just go to a pedestrian crossing and see how many older drivers bypass the crossing without giving the waiting pedestrian a chance to cross. And this is only an example.

I totally disagree with Nigel Lawrence's gender-biased comment, as I believe that we have both male and female jaywalkers. Just go through our local squares and you will see.

K. Vella

Jul 26th 2008, 12:36

@J. Tonna
With all due respect, but if you are not aware of the recent reforms that were made to the driving license examination, I would think twice before posting such a comment. How many drivers belonging to your generation (who obtained their license when the exams were a joke) can correctly identify the meaning of the various traffic signs, for starters?

James Sultana

Jul 26th 2008, 12:13

Some are quick to jump to conclusions and give the fault to the under-30 driver... Do those who already passed the judgement know where Triq is-Sebh is ? Do they know whether the driver was overspeeding and he hit the woman who was walking on the pavement, or if the driver was driving at the speed allowed for that road and for some reason or other the woman decided to cross the road or was jogging / walking wearing dark clothes and not on the pavement ? Or if it was just an unfortunate accident where both or none are to actually blame ?

Maybe when one looks at the age of the drivers involved in accidents it is easy to come to the conclusion that most are under-30 ..... it would be interesting if one was also to compile a statistic of how many "fitness-maniacs" are miracolously avoided at 5am in the morning in the various roads around Malta (Mtarfa bypass, Mtarfa, Attard, Qormi, Zebbug) who decide to do their exercise in pitch darkness wearing dark clothes and in the middle of the road !! Should we also ban these over-40 ladies from our MAIN TRAFFIC ARTERIES?

Jonathan Farrugia

Jul 26th 2008, 12:11

@Eric Psaila

what a ridiculous idea. so even if its the pedestrians fault which seems to be the case many a time, you suggest punishing the driver just because they are under 30?

This comment does not have do do with today's particular incident.

Eman Galea

Jul 26th 2008, 12:07

One cannot condemn all these young drivers outright. While my sympathy totally goes toward the injured woman and her relatives, one has to await the magesterial enquiry result about this accident before concluding that drivers under 30 years of age are always to blame.

Eric Psaila

Jul 26th 2008, 11:53

We are seeing too many accidents involving young drivers.
I think it is time that laws are passed which would suspend a driving licence of a person younger than 30 years of age when he/she is involved in an accident which caused serious injuries or death.
It is only in this way that young people will learn especially if they need a driving licence to work.
So many families have been destroyed because of a silly young immature person

Nigel Lawrence

Jul 26th 2008, 11:43

As a cyclist, I see MANY women jaywalking totally oblivious to the fact that they are a hazard unto themselves as far as traffic is concerned. They ARE accidents waiting to happen.

J.Tonna

Jul 26th 2008, 10:58

The driver is always younger than 30 years. Are they given enough training before the licence?

Franco Farrugia

Jul 26th 2008, 10:19

Yet another serious road accident.