Sunday, 1st November 2009 - 11:26CET
Stiffer fines for people who do not wear seatbelts
Drivers and passengers who fail to wear a seatbelt will soon have to pay stiffer fines as the government attempts to clamp down on offenders.
Between January and mid-October, police and wardens issued 10,173 citations for seatbelt offences. Most of these, 9,359, involved drivers, but 462 applied to passengers and 352 to children.
In view of these figures, the government is considering introducing tougher punishments for offenders.
The review of fines will also cover motorists who use their mobile phones while driving and will target those who discard objects from their vehicle.
In the UK, motorists caught talking on their mobile phone or sending a text message while driving could be jailed. In the most serious cases they are charged with dangerous driving, which carries a two-year maximum jail sentence and an unlimited fine.
In Malta, fines are negligible in comparison. Drivers, passengers and children fall into the same category and the maximum fine is €58. The same maximum fine is imposed for people caught using their mobile phone while driving.
Ironically, the fine doubles to €116 for motorists who drive on a reserved lane, such as a bus lane.
Statistics show that Malta has the lowest death rate from traffic accidents. With a fatality rate of 25 deaths per million of the population, Malta tops the table as the safest country, followed by the Netherlands with 45 deaths and Sweden with 49 fatalities.
But despite these figures, with more than 300,000 cars on Malta's roads, traffic accidents are numerous.
In 2008, a total of just over 15,000 traffic accidents were reported. Between January and last September, there were 10,515 recorded accidents.
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Comments
Our children's welfare should be our number 1 priority - What is wrong with people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"But I was never able to understand the logic behind fines charged to adult drivers and passengers not wearing their seat belts. If a driver does not wear his seat belt, it is HIS life that will be more at risk in case of an accident, an no-one else's".
You're missing an important fact. If the person not wearing a seat belt gets injured in an accident, it is the tax payer who pays the bills of hospitalisation.
For those who are crying that this is a government scheme to rake in more money, wake up. Not wearing a seatbelt means far greater injuries in case of an accident. And since we have free healthcare in this country, I'm basically paying for the medical costs of those idiots who don't wear seatbelts, whether in the front or the back of the car, plus for their social security because they are no longer capable of working.
Honestly, I do think my axes can be spent better than on people who, out of sheer ignorance or stupidity, don't strap up, and don't put their children in proper child seats.
But, as mentioned before, stiffer fines mean nothing without enforcement. As long as the government would rather pay for monuments to themselves in Valletta than investing in the police force, nothing will change.
And no, Malta is not a safe country to drive. If you take the short distances into consideration, which is always conveniently forgotten, the picture changes completely.
As I was typing this, there were screeching tyres outside...
You all post here to take in on each other like babies!
But when someone asks an important question like Jeremy Lanfranco did, no one answers.
His question was: BY LAW do you have to wear seat belts on the back seat... ide like to know as well
In the UK anybody caught using a mobile while driving gets a fine and 3 points on the licence. An accumulation of points over a period of time results in an automatic one year ban.
A driver not wearing a seat belt gets a fine. The driver of a vehicle is responsible for his front seat passenger and rear seat passengers if they are not adults. Any adult rear seat passenger can get a fine if they are found not wearing a seat belt.
There are few exemptions like pregnant females who need to have a doctors certificate in order to not wear a belt.
If a person is found to have caused an accident resulting in death while using a phone he/she can be prosecuted for causing death by dangerous driving which carries a long prison sentence.
Drink driving is an automatic one year ban or more depending on what the intoxilisor reading is.
Above all we need to make sure that all new drivers know the highway code before being let loose on our roads. How about a regular programme on TV about this subject ?
You're 100% right! But I wanted to know if its compulsary or not. I was not interested in the outcome not buckling of the rear seatbelt! That was my question.
What a silly question??? Compulsary or not a child should always should be wearing a seatbealt in the back seat, unless you want your child to fly through the windscreen if there is an accident, if so just leave your child standing in the back between the two front seats. Thats what most people do!!
Regrettably car noise pollution enforcement it is practically non exisitent.
Furthermore, one also wonders wether the Police and ADT are willing and/or have the right equipment to enforce the relevant Motor Vehicle Regulations. SHAME
for me people like you makes me want to,laugh or cry!!!!!
that think by putting in harsher penalties will result in less accidents, cos in this GZIRA everyone knows one another and it will result in, cos i know you i wont fine you - ie will still have the same result .... it will not improve on this island..
Is There a 'Bad Driver' Gene?
Dust from big trucks
Noise from cars silencers
Dangerous driving total disregard to traffic regulations.
Drivers using mobile phones.
Playing loud music through built-up areas till 1 and 2 AM.
Picking up the litter of their pets.
Drinking and driving.
Smoking in public places .
Litter in the streets and many more.
Reading these comments this morning made me feel like I’m living in a third world country with no control what so ever.
Can the authorities PLEASE do something to bring back some civilisation to this poor country of ours?
The average speed on Maltese roads is about 30 - 35 kph. So, taking this into account, the fatality rate is horrendous. But yet again it is a matter of misinterpreting statistics.
Finally, it is time motorists started to stand up for their rights. The state of the roads, be it bad, faded or inexistent markings, potholes, slippery surface and downright poor design must be addressed.
When are we going to tackle noise pollution from cars silencers ?
And dust pollution coming out from the box of big trucks ?
You get it Wrong!
Statistics are saying that road death rate in Malta is low, and not that there aren't any drink drivers around. Of course you find those in all countries I suppose - don't you?
Nobody is saying that Maltese way of driving is not bad, cause it is. But statistically speaking, you'd be more prone to perish in major cities than to do so in Malta. Now whether that is any consolation for the victims' families of this year's fatalities is another point.
people like you makes me want to,laugh or cry!!!!!
I'm 100% with the gov., the more stiff the fine will be the more happy I am, maybe just maybe people wil listen ,& wear the seatbelt & drive more carefully, especially, not use the mobile while driving!!!
Start do drink&drive tests every night outside paceville this is where the problem is, the safetybelt is a important part of driving but considering the average speed on the roads in Malta and the amount of deaths we have a horrible statistic.
How many of all accidents are alcohol related
At what time do they occur?
What is the average age?
Where do the accidents take place?
It would be great if Times of Malta could do an investigation and start do alcohol tests in the paceville, sliema st julian area and show where the police needs to start looking!