Mother and son injured in crash
A 28-year-old woman and her seven-year-old son ended up in hospital, suffering from broken bones, in the third traffic accident in St Andrew's Road in the space of a few days.
The police said the accident happened in Swieqi at about 1 a.m. yesterday when a 22-year-old man lost control of his Honda, crossed the central strip and collided with the woman's Daihatsu coming in the opposite direction. Her son was a passenger in her car.
An ambulance took the man, the woman and the boy to hospital where it was established that they had sustained fractures, although none of them was in critical condition. Both cars were considerably damaged. On Saturday a 33-year-old man died and three others were rushed to hospital after a head-on collision involving two vehicles in St Andrew's Road at 12.15 a.m.
And last Tuesday a 28-year-old man suffered serious injuries after losing control of a refuse truck, hitting a wall and overturning onto its side just up from the Forum Hotel.
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Rita Spiteri
Sep 9th 2008, 09:28
It is not just crazy drivers but crazy parents last Sunday at 8.30 in the evening a boy not more then 4 years old ran across valley road Qormi right outside oasis bar and kept running a little further up the road until he entered a house I missed him only by about 20cm he gave me the scare of my life and his parents were nowhere to be seen mind you if I did see them I think I would have hit them for being so negligent some people should have their kids taken away from them someone has to protect these children from their parents its no use crying your eyes out at the funeral
C Damato
Sep 8th 2008, 22:43
SAFETY CRASH BARRIERS on CENTRAL STRIPS help to "contain" the accident on the same side of the road (maybe). Hence at least the innocent family driving on the opposite side of the road is not hit or even killed by a "flying" car coming from the opposite direction after loosing control.
How many times such accidents take place in "Tal-Barrani" (and similar roads) for example, were a car looses control and ends up on the other side of the road hitting car/s with innocent driver/s (plus family/ies) with serious/tragic results?
Is it possible that only we notice such and many many other deficiencies in our roads (of course not)? Having nice central strips & roundabouts with colourful flowers is not enough!
This not to mention the many roads which have very old trees with huge massive trunks on the sides and no SAFET Y CRASH BARRIERS. These trees are perfect to stop a car following an accident, but obviously with the worst consequences!
Are such roads without CRASH BARRIERS according to EU standards? Jew fejn jablilna biss napplikaw EU (so called) standards?
Noel Gatt
Sep 8th 2008, 19:54
Can't help thinking that the prevaling heat is also playing a part in these road accidents. Several studies have been done in this regard and they all show that heat affects the level of concentration and focus. When combined with alcohol, the end result can often be tragic.
(http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/ade70528.page)
I am also in favour of an aggressive campaign that show the stark reality of this serious situation without resorting to the usual politically correct rethoric that is only good for 5 year olds. Something along these lines would do :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ5uePVnCKE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsY_Co-p8Bw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLbndJKMtCk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M86symzuVM
C. Weitze
Sep 8th 2008, 15:22
@joe pace:
"One hand on the steering wheel ...."
and in the other hand, many hold their mobile phones!
Charles Falzon
Sep 8th 2008, 14:40
Mr.Paul Barrett full marks for your intelligent observations. Every one of them is too true.
One wonders , what does it take to rectify them?
joe pace
Sep 8th 2008, 14:23
I do blame the Maltese law for not putting their foot down,I lived in U.K. for number of years and the laws are very strictly and harsh in U.K.and thats what we need down here heavy fines and civilization.
For instance how many times you see parents driving,and a kid standing between the two front seats of the vehicle,do this parents have any brains and think for one moment if they really love their kid what would happens if you are driving at 48.2 kilo meters and in a sudden if you have to make an a emergency stop,(the vehicle will travel another 68.58 meters to come to a halt )
so the kid which is standing between the front seats with the force will go straight through the front windscreen,and than what's the verdict?,do you blame again our roads or the maybe the other drivers.
I hate to say but most of the Maltese drivers dont care at all for road safety,they think because you have your foot down on the acceleration pedal and one hand on the steering-wheel make you a driver.Ha Ha what a laugh.
Bring back the horse and cart like cowboys style(wide west is here)
C. Weitze
Sep 8th 2008, 13:54
Whilst I agree fully with what has been said so far, may I add on another few items to Paul Barret's list:
Since this particular part of St. Andrew's Road is extremely dangerous for drivers as much as for pedestrians trying to cross the road, one should introduce more traffic lights which should include pedetrian crossings as well as speed cameras.
It is a well known fact, that - coming from St. Julian's - people start speeding the moment they have passed the traffic lights near Pembroke.
People coming from the coast road only start reducing their speed near the Tal I-bragg traffic lights and continue speeding up to the Pembroke traffic lights.
Extremely dangerous places are:
1) the one near the Chinese Restaurant, where drivers from Swieqi try to turn onto the main street as well as
2) further up near the old Forum Hotel, where drivers from Madleina try to enter the road.
Keeping in mind that on the Pembroke side of St. Andrew's Road there are various schools as well as sports clubs and the BMX track the goverment should really look into this matter in order to avoid having more accident on this road.
Paul Smith
Sep 8th 2008, 13:08
With the sheer amount of accidents and fatalities on Maltese Roads, one has to ask themselves, is driving cars really for the Maltese people? would it not be better to go back to the horse and cart, you would save a lot more lives
Paul Barrett
Sep 8th 2008, 10:50
First, I do hope that those injured recover soon.
Before everyone starts commenting on speed, drunk drivers, young drivers, driving tests etc, please also think along the following lines which are more than a minor contribution to the number of accidents here.
This is a major trunk road which in places is four lanes wide. The holes need patching, drain covers brought level with the road, street lighting re-aligned and on both sides of the road to prevent casting shadows; proper lane and other markings in proper line marking material. In addition, strong lights from the sports ground and any other strong lights in the area need to be shielded not to blind drivers. The recent extension of the central strip is an accident waiting to happen, it is virtually invisible to traffic coming from both directions and by looking at the marks on it, it has been hit by lots of vehicles and it is only by luck that this severity of accident has not happened before.
Antoinette Pace
Sep 8th 2008, 10:35
to all drivers on the road,please be very careful while driving on our roads.These days our roads are so slippery cause of the heat.I experienced it many times that my car slips very easy during day.First of all for your safety,secondly for the sake of others.