Road accidents cost country €83m last year

There were 16,000 road accidents last year, killing 14 people and costing society €83 million in damage, medical fees and loss of production.

An "intelligent traffic management system" will be introduced to improve the flow of traffic, control speed and reduce congestion, Transport Minister Austin Gatt said at a seminar to mark European Road Safety Day yesterday.

He said revolutionising the public transport system is the key to reducing road accidents because it would lessen congestion. Malta has the highest level of cars on the road in Europe, with about 300,000 licensed vehicles, 76 per cent which are privately owned. It also has the lowest number of traffic deaths per capita but the figures are "quite high" considering that the Maltese generally travel shorter distances and at lower speeds when compared to other European countries, the minister pointed out.

Dr Gatt admitted that bad roads contribute to accidents, so the government is investing €100 million to upgrade 25 kilometres of the road network over the next five years, keeping design and safety standards in mind. He did not elaborate.

The government, which has an EU commitment to reduce road deaths and injuries by 50 per cent over a 10-year period, has already rebuilt more than 30 kilometres of roads, sponsored by the EU and the Italian government.

By signing the European Road Safety Charter yesterday, Malta pledged its commitment, along with hundreds of organisations across Europe, to saving 25,000 lives a year by improving road safety, the minister said.

Charles Buhagiar, the Labour Party's spokesman for infrastructure, said good road surfaces can lead to speeding, so intelligent design is necessary to ensure drivers do not lose control. He said poor road surfaces and flooding also contribute to accidents.