Updated: Two die in Luqa traffic accident

Ernest Vella

Jul 10th 2009, 10:44

Speed Camera biss igib in-nies nies...mela nwahhlu ohra hemm ukoll...ma nahsibx li sigra hija kagun ta incident....imma l-ghagla hi l-kagun...mhux bilfors f'dan il-kaz imma ejja nammettu...hawn min iqazziza fit-triq

Il-Mulej jaghti l-mistrieh ta dejjem lill-dawn iz-zewg persuni u l-familja taghhom il-farag kollu li ghandhom bzonn

p.grima

Jul 10th 2009, 01:18

@-Frank Borg-

It is so convenient for drivers to say they " lost control".
What many do not say is that they were texting or talking on their mobile phones just before the accident happened. What I observe is a widespread lack of respect for the law, non-use of the rear view mirrors, and direction indicators, and so on. I could make an endless list.
Some mistakes may cost lives.

May God Almighty have mercy on their souls and their loved ones.

G. Portelli

Jul 9th 2009, 21:36

@ I Falzon

Le mela habib ejja nhalluha 2 lane halli jibqghu imutu n-nies. Tat taxi warajk ikollu joqghod irid u ma jridx. Dik mhix xi triq twila erbgha kilometri u nassigurak li t-traffiku jiskula izjed malajr b lane wahda. Is-sigar m'hemmx ghalfejn jitnehhew ghax mhux huma l-kagun ta l-imwiet imma l-ispeed zejjed. Ghal li jista jkun mhux xi wiehed minn dawk li tkun trid taqla akkost ta' kollox hux? Fis sewqan trid tibza ghal hajtek u ghal ta' haddiehor ghax dik kulhadd wahda ghandu u prezzjuza!!

Paul Farrugia

Jul 9th 2009, 21:12

Living just opposite to where the accident happened, cars speeding along the road at impressive speeds is a normal sight. Chopping down the trees is not a solution, since overspeeding would remain. A simple solution would be to install 2 speed cameras one in each direction, and that's it.

Apart from that resurfacing the road would not be a bad idea.

I.Falzon

Jul 9th 2009, 19:25

@ G Portelli

Proset, idea brillanti tieghek, jien bhalek nuza din it-triq kuljum, imbaghad nigu ahjar b'one lane ghax issib xi ghajjien quddiemek u jkollok bhal ce toqghod tistenna warajh u hallina .... , u x'jigri f'kaz ta emergenza jekk ikun bzonn ta ambulanza, ittir minn fuq il-karozzi jew? dan kollu biex insalvaw is-sigar? jinqaghlu tant sigar biex flokhom isir zvilupp, ghax jitnehhew dawn biex wara kollox tigi salvata xi hajja prezzjuza qed nghamlu ghageb???

Irraguna siehbi !!

M Buhagiar

Jul 9th 2009, 17:04

A great excuse for the authorities to put up another speed camera! Oh I can't wait!

MGMercieca

Jul 9th 2009, 15:44

Please pray for the souls of the dead victims, the injured woman and their grieving families.

V Battistino

Jul 9th 2009, 15:41

The road going from Luqa to Garibaldi street and its opposing road can be widened by taking off the trees (which are themselves deadly 'bollards') from both sides (with their roots also dislevelling the tarmac) and maybe part of the parallel street (part of Luqa) running alongside is also taken to widen this stretch....i often witness large vehicles coming from MIA (arrivals) and delegations with police escorts etc and this part is really dangerous and unsightly with its roller coaster tarmac levels etc......it is also the first impression of arrivals to our country and should therefore be upgraded.....the trees have grown large for this road !

G Tabone

Jul 9th 2009, 14:06

I agree with what is being said about the road being so unsafe. If you go through this road both to the Airport and to Santa Lucia you can see the tree trunks with alot of marks on them. Having said all this the road has deteriorated such that it is very dangerous to drive on. I am here pointing out the stretch that takes you from the Luqa roundabout near dinitrol uptil the motorcycle showroom (Santa Lucia direction). THE ROAD IS DISASTROUS. On the other side of the road which takes you to the airport the road is PHOTOCOPY of the above mentioned.

I am disgusted that extentive works were done on the road from luqa roundabout to MIA and this road which is so frequented by thousands of cars has not yet been given some decent tarmac. ADT STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING!!!!!! ROADS WHICH YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE OF ARE TAKING PRECIOUS LIVES. and the road should be a double lane on each side!! it is possible to get it wider by demolishing some few meters from the fields! In marsascala bypass that is what is being done!!

Norbert Bugeja

Jul 9th 2009, 14:06

R.I.P and all sympathy to the families of the victims....Useless discussing just show respect

Steven Cutajar

Jul 9th 2009, 13:04

To all "anti-trees" bloggers:

I laugh whilst reading your posts... Seems like that for some ppl, the runway is the only acceptable road here because it's more than a 2 lane, tree-less and centralstrip-less road.
Cut down the trees for what? so that we will be pushed to overtake in a field? Or take away the central strip for what? Just to be able to have a bullseyes in the car coming from the opposite way?

Come on guys.. Speeding and lack of saftey / precautions are the causes of most of the fatal accidents. We are the ones behin the wheel and we are the ones knowing what we do. Being hit by another car is something but I'm sure the trees did not step in the middle.

May they both rest in peace and may this serve as a lesson for slower and more careful driving. All my respects to the families.

O. Sant' Angelo

Jul 9th 2009, 12:55

My condolences to the families involved.

@G. Portelli
If that road were to become one lane, you'd find said taxis right behind you hooting and flashing headlamps at you - not a pleasant situation. In any case I simply don't agree with reducing any road to one lane. The idea isn't practical unless you'd expect an ambulance to drive on the pavement when there's traffic. And experience has shown what happens when an entire road is blocked because of a simple accident, that cars could normally just drive around. Last but not least, does anyone relish driving at 30kph behind a 24/7/365 'sunday driver'?

A narrow, high pavement with a few stop bays around might be a better option and perhaps a speed camera set at the _legal_ limit of 80kph.

G. Portelli

Jul 9th 2009, 11:56

This road should be reduced to a one lane road. There is no need to remove the trees. Just rebuild the road and reduce it to one lane. I have to pass through that road daily and beleive me I am really scared especially when taxis overpass you there at speeds exceeding 120km/h (sometimes racing each other to reach the airport first). Something should be done and fast.

Gilbert Busuttil

Jul 9th 2009, 10:55

Why are accident always attributed to speed? If one adheres to the speed limit which is 80km/h unless stated otherwise and has an accident...it would still constitute to a high impact. What about the disastrous state of the roads? and I am not talking about potholes. Our roads lack traction. Some of them look like marble floors....this road in particular. It seems that we only fix roads (or try to) that only have potholes. These slippery roads are dangerous. Apart from that IMO, most maltese do not take tyre traction seriously. Many a times I've been at a service station and encounter people who need to change their tyres and choose cheapest possible. the tyre is the most important entity of the car...especially on our slippery roads!

Alan Kay

Jul 9th 2009, 09:39

Very true about the trees and narrow road. However, in the video clip are the tyres of the car(s) bald? If so how do they pass the VRT test?

Martin Spiteri

Jul 9th 2009, 09:18

@VictorVella "all the trees that are within 2 meters of any main road should be cut down" yeah right, so might as well remove all trees from Malta. Installing barriers would make more sense and maybe launch a "drive safe" campaign. Cutting down trees is not a solution. We already don't have a lot of trees in Malta. It seems you've never driven through a mountain road, where cliffs and trees are less than 1 metre away from the street.

Keith D'Amato

Jul 9th 2009, 08:40

There has been many accidents in this road, how many more there'll be before they place crash barriers or removing those trees?? Although it is a double lane, it is too narrow for two cars to drive near each other, and considering that one side there are the trees and the other side there is a 40cm height (not more) serving as a central strip!

When two cars are driving by near each other one pays more attention to what the other driver is doing inorder to place his/her car accordingly, thus increasing the chance one crashes into trees/other car/opposing cars.

wakey wakey !

Darren Gatt

Jul 9th 2009, 08:27

Rather than blame the trees and the central strip, don't you think that speed is the main factor in traffic accidents?

B.Glanville

Jul 9th 2009, 08:10

When a vehicle hits a tree or lamp post dead on, you could be driving 30MPH-40MPH and still have very little chance of survival. Thus to leave a stretch of road like this (lined with trees) with no protective crash barrier is tantatmount to criminal negligence on the part of the authorities, especially since this is not the first incident of its kind in that very same road! The families should consider taking ADT to court over this horrible incident. My sympathies to the family.

Sandro Zahra

Jul 9th 2009, 07:50

all trees and poles on the side of the roads should be removed or a barrier has to be installed between the trees/poles and the road. if you happen to hit one of them ... your doomed!

J Farrugia

Jul 9th 2009, 07:37

dont make me laugh, everyone wants to put the blame on either the street, or the trees or the road, or even the birds. Fools rush where devils fear to thread. Pray for the dead and the hospitalised.

Herbert Guillaumier

Jul 9th 2009, 07:09

Why should we cut down the trees and not make drivers aware that that part of the road does not take two fast-going cars at a time?

a.camilleri

Jul 9th 2009, 07:08

moving central strip will make this road more dangerous, it needs a pavement so it will make the road narrow and only one car can go through, as it is you get cars coming up behind you and force you to the trees to overtake, thats why this road is dangerous, we use it quite often and been through this experiance many times,( by the way we are not 20klm drivers, just normal speed )
not long ago an idiot overtook me at speed and he found a garbage truck in front of me, he had to break hard as he could not overtake it.
our sympathy to all involved.

J Oatmon

Jul 9th 2009, 07:01

Another example of what happens in an accident with an old 'no airbags etc' car.

European safety standards for cars have been raised significantly in recent years to protect the occupants with shock absorbing 'crumple zones, airbags, etc - these old cars do not properly protect the occupants.

R. Caruana

Jul 9th 2009, 06:54

I drive everyday along that road several times. It's not the best of roads, but not as dangerous as it's being portrayed here.

Went over the above clip several times. Has anyone noticed anything strange regarding the thread on the front tyres of the red car? Safety begins at home.

R Vella

Jul 9th 2009, 06:41

Its not about removing the trees, or the central strip.....its aobut putting crash barriers along the sides of the road. but i think more people have to die or get injured before this happens.

Brian Borg

Jul 9th 2009, 06:41

@Joseph Mizzi
I am one who drives through this road many times a day. I never consider it as a two line road, there is nothing to indicate that is a two line road. However when I am driving in the middle of the carriage way, many try to overtake me... mostly Taxis on their way to the Airport, putting me and others in danger of collision. In my opinion your suggestion will make the things worst.
Other then eradicate trees and removing central strip, this road should be clearly modified to be a single line, similar to the infamous one in Attard.
If I well remember this road was to be re-build from European funds.

John Falzon

Jul 9th 2009, 06:20

Same applies and very much so for the Addolorata Hill, which is lined with trees but no crash barriers for most of its length. All it takes is one moment of inattention. If I remember correctly a young Architect had died there some years ago. Indeed its a wonder we don't hear of many more fatal accidents in such roads.

Nigel Lawrence

Jul 9th 2009, 05:30

To all, ----people will continue to drive into trees and lamp poles etc. if they consider that attention to their driving is of little importance. Trees don't jump into the road to take you by surprise.

Frank Borg

Jul 9th 2009, 01:39

Its called -" THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL"- They never tell us that the driver tried avoiding a pot -hole, bump, disconnection in tarmac, tarmac which is more polished then train lines, diesel spill, roads which bank the wrong way, wrongly planted trees, overgrown trees.
Maybe we should call it OVERSPEEDING???.- Any speed is overspeeding on most roads!!!!!
We are sooo clever we even put our manholes on the road ..........THE list Is ENDless . -R.I.P

M Bishop

Jul 9th 2009, 01:39

It is the speed that kills, not the trees.

May the perished RIP and their relatives be comforted.

Ronnie Gauci

Jul 9th 2009, 01:21

Countless persons lost their lives in this stretch of road, those trees shouldn't be there! Cut them down and plant a thousand somewhere else.

Adam Wilson

Jul 9th 2009, 00:57

Cut the trees down !! this sums up the attitude of some Maltese drivers . Have you been to England have you noticed the trees and how many people crash in to them ? Come on the problem is not the trees its the drivers and sad as any loss is the trees were here first . Better roads and drivers is the real solution

Reuben Sciberras

Jul 9th 2009, 00:48

This road is in urgent need to be reconstructed. As far as I know, it's next in line to be done from EU funds...please take action immediately. Hands off beaurocracy for tendering processes. Start working on it immediately. It's a shame that the main road from airport leading to our Capital was left in such a state for so long after finishing the roads from the MIA. This should have been done straight away. We cannot afford to have any more fatalities.

Joe Micallef

Jul 8th 2009, 23:40

Council of Europe Road, Luqa yet again

Galea. L

Jul 8th 2009, 23:38

Road barriers are required near the trees which should be kept as they clean the air and reduce traffic noise.

V. Borg

Jul 8th 2009, 23:29

How many other accidents should happen before someone start to take serious action in this country??!! This is not the first time that similar traffic accidents take place in this particular stretch of road and absolutely NOTHING WAS DONE…SHAME ON THE AUTHORITIES!!

Cutting down all the trees would not solve the problem at all. Perhaps the street should be narrowed to a single lane. However this might create further traffic problems. I think that the installation of crash barriers along the road and ALSO along the centre strip is essential! Its tarmac is also extremely slippery and un-even in most parts. It has been like that for ages now…therefore, it needs to be re-surfaced as well!!

ADT, please also note that this is NOT the only road that needs this kind of urgent treatment…crash barriers and proper tarmac are essential as these would help avoid potential serious accidents!!! This is just common sense. ADT, you don’t need experts to take note of these basic safety measures!

My condolences to the families involved.

charles Zammit

Jul 8th 2009, 22:18

@vincent Saydon

I agree with you Mr.Saydon. However if ADT had to do something about this road, rest assured that it won't be a barrier, but a speed camera. A barrier will not make any revenue, only expenses to repair every time someone crash into it.

God be with our brothers and their relatives.

Steven Bonello

Jul 8th 2009, 22:07

A road I drive through every day. As an aside - how many people have been booked for driving while phoning/smsing on their mobile phones? I witness this every single day and you can tell from a car criss-crossing lanes in front of you that this is occurring. Is there any enforcement here? Meanwhile we are often regaled with a mustachioed police officer "directing" traffic at the MIA roundabout in the morning who is a danger to traffic and more so to himself. He fairly and squarely is a throwback to the Keystone Cops!

Andrew Paris

Jul 8th 2009, 22:07

I do not know all the details of this tragady but everytime I see the speed of the cars in that section , loss of control is bound to happen. My prayers are with the families.

mario aquilina

Jul 8th 2009, 22:02

Can ADT or the council fix the deep hole/manhole that is along the road from the t 'Alla u Ommu roundabout towards Salina before a fatality take place. This manhole is a few yards up the road, once one goes past the end of the central strip.

The most people that are likely to kiss this spot are motorbike riders and their pillion. The rest of us, will just damage our heavily taxed cars.

I find it unbelievable that this hole is still around, after being there for so many months, and when so many traffic wardens on bikes and motorcycle police use this stretch of road, and they don't even bother to take some kind of action, knowing that they, themselves could be the victim.

Have I just wasted my time?.

stephen BAldacchino

Jul 8th 2009, 21:58

i cant understand when trees and poles are going to be removed from the middle or the side of the streets. nearly all the fatal accedents are caused by these hazards. How many more people need to loose there life's. there are many solutions to these hazards but know one takes care or only when they are involved action is taken in this country. shame shame shame.

James Green

Jul 8th 2009, 21:55

Too many times trees and poles have claimed lives. Trees/poles and 'roads' DO NOT mix.
Will this be the last time we hear of 'killer' trees/poles?
My deepest condolences.

A. Borg

Jul 8th 2009, 21:55

So many fatal accidents in this street. Authorities must do something and as soon as possible!

Joseph Mizzi

Jul 8th 2009, 20:59

Too many fatal accidents happen on his road. It is too narrow to permit two lane traffic. The trees and central strip should be removed. This will make the road wider and safer.

victorvella

Jul 8th 2009, 20:45

Can we do away with those trees, lovely to look at nice for a shade but they are a danger to drivers as we have seen many times.Please cut them all down all the trees that are withen 2 meters of any main road should be cut down.

Vincent Saydon

Jul 8th 2009, 20:41

It is clear that the trees and lighting poles which line the road create a serious hazard , in fact a death trap ! It appears to me that road barriers should be installed along the road in question without further delay. Perhaps, the road needs to be re-designed / re constructed to acceptable standards. ADT pls take note.

My sympathies to families involved .

Vince

D. Xuereb

Jul 8th 2009, 20:23

How many more people will die in that cursed street before someone decides to place a crash barrier along side the trees.. Hello Wake Up!!!