Young driver escapes serious injury

victor vella

Aug 30th 2008, 21:02

J Oatmon by your own admission it shouldn't be illegal to speak on the mobile and drive. You see many drivers use the mobile while driving, so we should have hundreds of accidents a day.we thank god don't so it is not dangerous to speak on the mobile and drive, what is dangerous is having a driver who tries to cut into your lane withen a meter of your front bumper

R Demicoli

Aug 30th 2008, 18:52

What a storm in a tea cup.

I think the biggest dangers on maltese roads are the trees planted on the side of the road.

Might as well have boulders in the middle of the road.

How many more accidents/deaths must we have before simple barriers are installed?

M Aquilina

Aug 30th 2008, 17:03

Regardless of where the fault/s lie, we should take a step back and empathise with a person who has just suffered a terrible accident. This should not be too difficult.

Yanica Mizzi

Aug 30th 2008, 16:57

I would like to thank all those who were of help in this accident especially the professor who called my family. I would also like to thank my friends who were on site to help and remained there for as long as we needed them and also all other KPMG staff who showed interest on our health condition.
Thankyou Yanica

Yanica Mizzi

Aug 30th 2008, 16:25

I like to say that I wasn't speeding too much, the car was still on third gear and all those who know about those cars know that on third gear you cannot speed that much. What happened was that as soon as I was turning that curve i didn't realise that I was too close to the pavement. When I saw I was too close, I panicked and turned the steering to the other side. The car went to the other side and hit the pavement, than everyone knows what happens when you hit the pavement. In my opinion i think that curve is a bit dangerous and they should do something about it especially in hot temperature and when its raining because it becomes more slippery, but I am not an expert, I can only give opinion. However, there were other accidents like this before.
I would like to point out the fact that when the police came near my car and petrol was leaking, one of them was smoking

Joseph Schembri

Aug 30th 2008, 13:08

@Yanica Mizzi. Thank God that you're OK. But maybe you can tell us how it actually happened. I am only asking so that with what you say you might prevent a similar accident from occurring.

Joseph Schembri

Aug 30th 2008, 12:23

The speed limit in Malta outside urban centres is 80km/h. Why then do we have speed cameras with warnings not to exceed much lower speeds in our arterial roads? The one which really bothers me is the one as you go out of the regional road tunnel away from Paceville. The speed limit there is so low that I have to use 3rd gear! The excuse for lowering the speed limit on that stretch of road some years ago was that the bridge was falling apart. But now we have a new bridge so why the ridiculous speed limit? I suspect it is just one other way for the state to bleed us of more money.

Yanica MIZZI

Aug 29th 2008, 22:48

With due respect to all I was the driver in that accident and I am really sorry to say how rude some of You are. You know how I am feeling? At least. luckily I was not seriously injured. Some of you have nothing to do but just talking non sense and making comments. Firstly I was not on mobile and had no radio on. And 2nd I wasn't speeding too much the left wheel had problems. 3rd i wish to tell Mr. Chris Ripard that I surely have control more than him cause i don't speak non sense when I don't know and it shows MR. Chris that you'r an expert driver and you don't know the shock you are in after accident because otherwise you would not speak that way. Last note if you have an accident count on me cause i will fly to give u help.. how rude u r bdw i did not get my licence in the old system mind u as well.

tracy mizzi

Aug 29th 2008, 15:17

Everyone seems to be an expert here, as if everyone was an expert in driving from the begining of his life. You should show respect to the families of the injured we know the shock we got. By the way she did not get her license with the previous system, she really worked hard for it. I've been driving for more than 5yrs now, ok, I know some of you have more experience, but what I learn is that it takes nothing to cause an accident. Un fortunately I lost a friend in an accident 5yrs ago and yesterday I was going to loose my sister. Please show respect don't act like experts, no one is.

Ray Gatt

Aug 29th 2008, 12:01

Our driving instructors need to take the driving course themselves. How many times do you see some of them on the mobile while giving a lesson. So should the wardens as most of them do not know the basics of driving. Only yesterday while going round the xemxija roundabout, a warden on a motor cycle coming from St. Paul's just kept coming out and I had to brake not to hit him. To make matters worse he gave me an ugly look as if he was in the right. Another point is that our drivers are not taught about the different speed limits on our roads. In the Burmarrad bypass for example the limit is 70, but as soon as they notice the camera they automatically go down to 40 and less. The same happens on other roads. And what about heavy and not so heavy vehicles going slow on the overtaking lane. Nobody ever talks to them. And then somebody critisized somebody else on this blog just because he wanted to share with others the system in the UK. And he's prepared to ship him there as well.

J Oatmon

Aug 29th 2008, 10:53

@ morgan carabott -
I agree with your kind words for the accident victim.

I disagree with your feelings that trying to discover the cause of the accident is inappropriate. Accidents are not random 'acts of God' they are caused by people and the circumstances they are in.
We need to know what happens with all accidents so that we can learn the painful lessons from them.

All serious accidents should be investigated to uncover the cause, and take the correct action to hopefully avoid future accidents. If your only concern is for the accident victims, then it is likely that the same thing will happen again and again.

morgan carabott

Aug 29th 2008, 10:05

IT IS VERY INAPPROPRIATE TO SUBMIT, AND TRY TO PLAY THE EXPERT THROUGH ASSUMPTIONS IN A TIME LIKE THIS. ARE YOU CONSIDERING THE STATE THE TWO PERSONS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER) ARE IN?

BEING ONE OF THE PERSONS PRESENT ON SITE, I THANK GOD FOR THEIR SURVIVAL, AND YOU SHOULD ALL DO THE SAME

Anthony Buhagiar

Aug 29th 2008, 01:23

I would like to add a comment what Mr Carlos Bugeja mentioned.

If one takes notice at the 00:22 seconds of the video, one would notice that the left hand side front rim is dented which shows that the wheel hit the left hand side pavement making the car to overturn.

Chris Ripard

Aug 29th 2008, 00:36

@ Andrew Borg Cardona. True, it doesn't take much to flip a car, but to do it when driving in broad daylight, in the dry, in a well-regulated zone . . . No offence, but I think the young lady didn't lose control - she can't have had it in the first place. What would she do in heavy rain, at night I wonder? Drive carefully, I guess. This crash reinforces the fact that one must take care at all times - even in supposedly "easy" conditions.

The mobile question (J. Oatmon) is very valid and begs an answer.

J Borg

Aug 28th 2008, 20:09

How to correct a car over or understeering is rarely mentioned by driving instructors,if at all.Even if they do mention it,the student is no given any practical practice on how to correct it.

J oatmon

Aug 28th 2008, 19:14

I wonder if the accident was a result of inattention because of a mobile phone, since no other vehicle was involved?

On a daily basisI see many drivers (ladies and gents, truck drivers, van drivers, in fact just about everyone) talking on the mobile while driving - thishas been shown to cause distraction when driving, and accidents are more likely - this is a fact.

Why not pull over, talk, then resume your journey - where's the hardship, if it helps avoid an accident?

wally vella-zarb

Aug 28th 2008, 19:06

Judging by the massive dent in the front wheel, passenger side (@ 00:23) it would appear likely that she hit the sidewalk at close to 45 degrees. It is certain that the speed was excessive. It is also very probable that she oversteered at the curve and did not drive out of the potential skid situation, thus continuing at the original speed towards impact with the kerb. Following impact, the momentum would easily roll the vehicle since it would, at this stage, be presenting the shortest dimension - the width - to the direction of travel, the tyres being at 'tripping' orientation, rather than 'rolling'.

Thankfully, there were no pedestrians or traffic coming from the opposite direction.

Tony Gatt

Aug 28th 2008, 17:31

I once saw a video of a car turning somersaults with the caption "Designed by computers, built by robots, driven by Italians"

It seems the Italians don't have a monopoly on irresponsible driving.

victor vella

Aug 28th 2008, 17:13

Mr Costa with all due respects, I agree with what you said regarding the post licence driving course but this is mostly taken by newly licenced person who want to travel on the motorways.But hav eyou ever heard a maltese person admit that he/she is not the best at everything?

David Martinelli

Aug 28th 2008, 16:56

@V.Vella, very well said.

Perhaps the responding officers could have also set up emergency flares indicating that there is a problem ahead. At least one officer could have been on the other side of the road as V.Vella spoke of in his comment. Another note from the video was that I did not see the emergency lights on for the two motorbikes which I believe should have been on. It looks like in the video that the lights appear off.

The driver must have rounded that curve at an excessive speed. It's no wonder why the car flipped the way it did. Hope the driver is o.k. But as I viewed the video again, I did not see any signs posted of the approaching curve which should have resulted in the driver slowing down thus avoiding this accident in the first place.

Another item to note, yes the driver of the other truck was going too fast before seeing the red car, and should have indicated by signaling as he entered the opposite side of the road. There could have been another accident if there was traffic coming from the opposite direction.

bernadette farrell

Aug 28th 2008, 16:35

comment to Frans Said, get your facts straight, the system that we have in the uk regarding the PROVISIONAL licence is that you cannot drive under any circumstances on your own (otherwise you will be heavily penalised), and you can only take your L plates off your car when you have passed your actual driving test (both theory and practical).

Dr Francis Saliba

Aug 28th 2008, 16:19

Now we know it for certain. The car overturned because the driver obtained her licence "under a previous system" and because the car was "weightless" orbiting in a free-fall. Either the car was "weightless" or falling under the influence of gravity.

C. Camilleri

Aug 28th 2008, 16:10

I am not referring to this particular incident, as I wasn't there, but some young & older drivers think that once they obtain a driving licence, they are then 'expert' drivers. Throughout my driving experience [40 yrs], one thing I have learnt is that; 'IT IS QUITE EASY TO ACCELERATE A CAR, BUT IT IS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP THE CAR IN EMERGENCY' Ok, so you don't have to be a genius to learn this, but, is this, amongst many other 'rules' told to learning drivers, but their instructors?

How many times did I see a learner with his or her instructor, driving on through a STOP sign? Yes many times, 'Ghax ma kien gej xejn' they would tell you. NO, a stop sign is there for us to Stop, & it is not a matter of 'Li ma hu gej xejn'

philiptoledo

Aug 28th 2008, 16:08

Dear Mr costa i have been reading a couple of articles on todays newspaper and you seem very active with the comments, unfortunately they are all about malta and its negative points, you seem to speak highly about the uk , i would gladly contribute to financing your return to the uk!! give us all a break Mr costa, its people like you that give such a bad name to this country!

Gavril Flores

Aug 28th 2008, 15:52

@ Costa. Good idea... if its voluntary:)

bartolo ian

Aug 28th 2008, 15:44

Very Lucky..she escape a serious injury... !!

but, the qeustion is....How? How this happen?

I did some reserch and found that : gravity is still nearly 90% as strong as at the Earth's surface, and weightlessness actually occurs because orbiting objects are in free-fall.

Carlos Bugeja

Aug 28th 2008, 15:36

That's quite a sharp turn and it's very normal to unconsciously gain speed there. She must have hit the pavement or something which made the car overturn. These things do not happen with lack of skill, I think, but merely with a lack of attention or concentration in that particular moment.

David Schembri

Aug 28th 2008, 15:34

With all due respect, but as someone who only recently was taking driving lessons, it's not just younger drivers who need lessons on how to drive safely, but especially drivers who obtained their license under the previous system. No one seems to know how to use indicators on a roundabout or the difference between the overtaking lane and the left lane. Then for us new drivers it's simply a case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Andrew Borg-Cardona

Aug 28th 2008, 15:29

Aren't we lucky to have people like M. Costa, who can tell how an accident happened from a couple of seconds of video? Just to expand the general knowledge about how accidents happen, in addition to M. Costa's definitive contribution, from personal experience I know that it doesn't take excessive speed to flip a car - all you need to do is miscalculate a turn and catch the side wall.... or have a blow-out ... or quite a number of other things.

Frans Said

Aug 28th 2008, 15:21

F. Said
In UK there is an even better system. After obtaining a "provisional" driving licence, the person is still considered to be a "learner" and has to use an "L" plate even though he would be driving on his own. He would be under certain restrictions for a year or so. Once there was mention of such a system in Malta, but as usual, this might be intruduced in say a 100 years time. In some aspects of little importance we copy the English, in the more important aspects we do it our way.

Bernard Mamo

Aug 28th 2008, 15:15

why isn't there a police constable directing traffic in a bend where one of the carriageways is closed off? that truck in the end of the video could have created a head on crash setting.

v.vella

Aug 28th 2008, 15:14

Since the accident happened at a sharp bend, a marker should have been placed at distance from the accident to warn drivers before they navigate the bend. watch the clip at 00.06 and notice the truck slowing down abruptly to avoid hitting the red car which is parked just round the bend. Furthermore one of the two police motorcycles should have been parked on the other side of the road to warn oncoming traffic.

M. Costa

Aug 28th 2008, 15:01

From the looks of it, she must have been going down the road at an excessive speed and she may have turned too sharply. It's a pitty that in Malta (as far as I am aware) there is no post-driving test training facility, where drivers can learn more advances safety precautions. In the UK there is a training scheme called "Pass Plus" for drivers who have obtained their driver's licence but wish to learn more about driving safely. Drivers who take this course are usually offered discounts on their insurance.