Motorcyclist on danger list

Together with others, I was an overland biking partner with Martin for three times, our last trip being in June this year. We have globally covered over 6000 kms and I can safely say that never during our 3 bike tours in Sicily and Italy, has Martin been a reckless driver! On the contrary, for Martin, safety on the tours was paramount to others and to himself.
I am totally stunned with the mystery surrounding this tragic accident.
I strongly urge any eye witnesses to come forward and contact Police Inspector Edmond Cuschieri at the Mosta Police Station who is conducting investigations.
Martin, we all love you and we shall support you all the way. As much as we were always a team during our rides, we shall pull through this as a team and grow even stronger.
Benjamin Curmi, 79729203, bjc.mlt@hotmail.com

On the 27th August, i felt like my worst nightmare came true. I always knew these things happened, but i guess deep down you never think it will happen to you. I never really realised the love i had towards my father, until i thought i could lose him. Now however i realise that there is not one single thing i wouldn’t do for him. As his daughter I will probably have separate opinions to everyone else, but I just want to add a few things. As he is my father I have no doubt in my mind that he is a very careful driver and he would never go over a speed limit, so the accident I'm sure was not his fault. Right now my priority is not HOW it all happened but seeing my dad get better, what happened was not fair but we cannot change the past. All we can do is support and help him the best way possible. The injuries are very horrendous, and shouldn't have happened to a great man like my father but I truly believe that things happen for a reason.

cont'd from above

Using a motorcycle may not have been the safest way to drive, but it made him happy and at the end of the day what happened to him on a bike could have happened in another hundred different ways. There are risks with a lot of things, sometimes you just have to be prepared to take them. Personally, I'm sure i wouldn’t drive a bike when i am older, however even though it scares me, it might make other people happy and we should never stop people from doing things that bring them great joy.


I love my father very much and all i can do is help him as best i can; but i also know what a great and caring person he is, and he will get through this. He is making amazing recovery and im so proud of him., and i hope he knows that. And me and my family and all his friends will get through this together. We are a strong family and we will always find support in each other.

Cont'd from above

My dad has had a second chance at life which not everyone gets, and we are so grateful.
Seeing all this happen around me has caused confusion but has also made me realise how much i want to become a doctor, this experience has given me great motivation in following my dreams and its comforting knowing that i can help other people in the same way they have helped us. They have saved my father and i hope one day i can do the same for someone else.
We take too many things in life for granted and that is a lesson i have learned. Our lives WILL change dramatically, but i'm sure that in the long run, we will appreciate everything so much more.
I want to thank the brilliant medical staff and everyone involved for their great help in saving my fathers life. words cannot explain my gratitude.
Rachel

On hearing what happened, the news came as a big shock. His daughter is a great friend of mine and my father knew him personally - they both shared a passion for diving and motorbikes. He was a very careful driver – the accident was totally out of his control.

However, they are a very close knit family and I'm sure they will pull through. He is making amazing progress and he's a fighter so although it is very hard, I'm sure they will all make it and come out of this experience stronger. I admire their strength and courage and my full support is with them. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Kim

I think Frank Portelli referred to the following:
http://www.fema.ridersrights.org/crashbarrier/index.html

Motorcycles are not the safest way to drive, but nowadays with the increase cost of fuel etc, more people will be using this economic and ecological means of transport, thus in my opinion our roads need to be improved...... even a hole in the middle of the road can be a difference between life and death. Furthermore car drivers need to be updated how to drive with motorbikes since some of the drivers do not even know the consequences they can cause to a biker. I hope this gentle man will pull through.

Our prayers are with Martin and his family. It was so distressing to hear of this gentleman's accident whilst stopping for a coffee at our regular coffee bar in Burmarrad, a place where I came to know this serious and careful motorcyclist. Some years ago I witnessed a very bad accident on the very same road, but in the opposite direction, involving a motorcycle that was slightly hit by a car. The motorbike was thrown into the central barrier, but luckily for the driver and pillion passenger, at that time, the central barrier was a natural hedge, hence their lucky escape with only slight injuries sustained. Had it been today's barrier, I would have witnessed a much more tragic scenario. The crash barriers installed on all of our new roads maybe suitable for cars, but yes, they are death traps for motor cyclists and even cyclists. As always, now that someone has been seriously injured, our experts may start thinking of why this "state of the art" highway is not so state of the art afterall. Remember, direct impact by an object close to the ground at even slow speed will result in destruction to that object.

Hello all, I second with what Dr. Portelli said, my thoughts are with him and his family because one of his children is a very very close friend of mine. Its ture what Dr. Portelli said that something has to be done to imporve biker's safety on our roads.

I would like to take a moment to thank the medical staff and everyone who helped in saving a life.
Thanks for the information Dr. Portelli
Mark

The injured man is a personal friend of mine – my thoughts are with him and his family.

He has suffered horrendous injuries – thanks to Medical and Nursing Staff who operated throughout the night he lives
He will need a lot of care and support.
Crash Barriers can cause terrible injuries to bikers
Ironically studies have shown that a biker hitting a crash barrier is much worse off than if he had hit a concrete wall.
60% of bikers hitting crash barriers are killed or maimed by the metal upright posts that support the barrier.
Those responsible for our roads can do so much more to protect Bikers.
For instance the insertion of special plastic/rubber tubes below the crash barrier as they do in France would make the crash barrier safer for bikers.
I drive on the St Pauls Bay Bypass every day - it is of poor design ab initio - and is a death trap for motorists and bikers alike.
Its safety standard must be examined.
To my friends family - his wife and 2 children - you have all our support in this ordeal
Dr Frank Portelli MD FRCS(Ed)

I was just a few cars back from the accident scene, that just took place, I hope with limited help provided, this Biker pulls out of his injuries, thereafter the Medevac people arrived shortly. ......I believe this bypass is a 'TRAP' for any emergency like we just experienced yesterday, the police had to reverse over a hundred cars back to Xemxija, no body could cross over!.....This SPB bypass after years of endless construction is PRACTICALLY BARRIERED everywhere!.....The injuries sustained to the biker with the barrier end design protecting the pavement acted like a sharp edge & broke up the motorbike along & below the road.....I hope this investigation is productive not just the legalities & immediate safety & obvoius changes are made......speed traps in the middle of by passes are not the solution but another braking HAZARD! I find it very strange why so much kilometers of BARRIERS that has played one factor in this particularly road accident I believe & trapping several hundred of motorists from vacating the the road in timely manner, for emergency services to get through or to detour!

And we think that our roads are safe?... Blah... Such blind spots are where speed cameras should be installed and not in safer roads like the Mriehel Bypass. It is an absolute nonsense to have a camera in a straight road and to make things worse, people keep driving slow on the outer lane all through the road! The camera on the Mriehel bypass is being the cause for more accidents rather than safety because one must zig-zag to overtake slow ignorant drivers on the outer lane. Cameras should be installed in blind spots and in residential areas and not in the few stretches of long road we have in Malta. But as always, such things are not properly planned in Malta, just as much as I agree with Ms. Farrugia's comment about the lack of a break in the crash barriers.
I must say that riding a bike is not a safe practice on our roads but I still hope that this biker gets a speedy recovery.

I am sorry for the biker and hope he pulls through. I was caught on the St Paul's Bay by pass yesterday at 7.50 and was still stuck there till 9.00 when a traffic police informed us we would ahve to turn the cars round and this was quite complicated as the by pass was choc a bloc with cars. One thing I noticed was there is no break at all in the crash barriers in case of an accident. I never noticed this before till something did actually happen and I was stuck myself.

Without knowing the exact circumstances, one is hesitant to comment, but ever since its long overdue re-opening I have constantly held the view that, as constructed, this road is a deathtrap to bikers.

I hope and pray that the gentleman pulls through. Meanwhile, I am confident that Dr Demicoli will investigate the road's construction, lighting etc. and their contribution to what we hope will not end in tragedy.

In my view, the ADT should never have sanctioned this road's design.