Motorcyclist injured in traffic accident
A motorcyclist was this morning taken to Mater Dei Hospital following a crash with a car in St Julian's.
The police said the motorcyclist was riding a Kia Kymco towards Paceville from near the tunnels while the car was being driven towards Paceville from Pembroke. The accident happened at around 9.45 a.m.
The condition of the motorcyclist is not yet known.
Another motorcyclist was seriously injured in a traffic accident in Mgarr yesterday evening.
27 Comments
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S Vella
Mar 22nd 2010, 13:10
I am a biker myself and unfortunately agree that a large number of 4 wheel drivers have no respect at all towards bikers. We are in danger all the time so I think that if its a 50, 50decision, one should always give the right of way to the biker....I am not saying that bikers do not obey the traffic rules! but a biker cannot always manoever the bike as easy as a car. I drive a car too so maybe that is why I comment this way because I have a taste of both but those who are not bikers do not sometimes realise the unnecessary danger they put us into.
I thank those many drivers who do respect us and go by the traffic regulations not just because they are stronger because they have four wheels they ignore us.
Get well to all fellow bikers who were involved in accidents during this weekend which were quite a few.
I hope that we do not start reading of accidents increasing now that the weather is more favourable for us.
Sam Smith
Mar 22nd 2010, 10:06
i wouldnt argue over anything...im sorry for this accident, and the people who know this man, but you are not going to get anywhere by arguing over the Roads and How people Ride/Drive, the fact is, yes the roads are poor, they might not look bumpy, and could look flat!..but their is NO grip, also, half of the people here have no idea how to drive, god knows how they pass thier test.. no offence, but im saying what i see every day of living, its nerv racking when you get on the road over here, it feels like everyone has right of way, when really, i look at the news everyday and i see "a critial accident" or "someone dies in car accident" and its daily..if people was to just drive with more respect and go by the road laws, nobody would have to have this problem...but the goverment need to sort the roads you pay road tax? which is way a rip off for your back garden plant holes...its not fair and its a joke..again very sorry about this accident.
N.Lawrence
Mar 21st 2010, 21:10
@D.Vella ---this particular bike is a Venox 250cc---
I humbly stand, corrected.
DVella
Mar 21st 2010, 13:25
@N Laurence,
Actually it is not a Pulsar . . . this particular bike is a Venox 250cc . . . I know the owner of this bike and I hope he is OK. Oh and by the way, thanks for the comment about the bikers treating the roads as their personal race track . . . for your information there are far more cowboys on four wheeled souped up rattletraps that do that. The majority of bikers are law abiding and far safer drivers that most car drivers, they have to be because their life depends on it. You need to get a life mate!
@ Joseph M. Sciclna . . . thank you professor . . . 125cc . . . 96km/hr in no time . . . . ha ha ha . . . get real!! For a start this particular machine is a Kymco Venox 250cc V-twin and secondly it weighs almost 200kg and takes longer than an average car to get beyond 80km/hr . . . you should leave technical stuff about bikes to people who know what they're talking about!!
mario camilleri
Mar 21st 2010, 11:05
goverment must make free licens for motocycle under 50cc so he will increase parking place and reduce trafic it will almost reduce polution in our country ,but i am sorry to tell you that goverment want only your money dear motorcycle owners he have even increase licens fee as he did with car licens, many europen country have free licens for scooters less than 50cc but we are in EU for having only the disatvantages now we all now this fact.I wish that some day all we motorcycle owner will make a protest and we close all roads to valletta for a day may be goverment will listen to us
S. Zahra
Mar 21st 2010, 10:34
i totally agree with Steven Andrews.
What he said is true especially "In Malta it is the opposite, they pull to the right to stop you overtaking!!!"
Most of the drivers let you pass, but others (which are not few) just pull to the right ... apart from the other instances when they do not know what are doing because of sending an sms while driving etc!!
Joseph Sammut
Mar 21st 2010, 06:44
@Steve Andrews: I agree with you partially. In general all road users ignore (to varying degrees) traffic signage, regulations and each other - egocentricity at its best. However, there is a sector of road users - those that we call petrol heads that add a dimension to this egocentricity - speed and arrogance in the manner of their driving/riding and this in the daily general hussle and bussle use of our roads for which after all any road is intended. I think this is closer to the plain and simple truth.
Steven Andrews
Mar 20th 2010, 22:31
First of all I would like to wish both of the rider's involved in accidents speedy and full recoveries.
I would also like to thank W .Scicluna, A Sammut, D Aquilina, Rien Langarveld, and Ivan Galea for telling it "like it is".
The plain simple truth is that four wheelers do not respect two wheelers. If you want any evidence of this then look no further than the comment by G Pisani "Just because they are on two wheels they think they have the right not to stay in traffic behind you,"
This is typical of most of the drivers on these islands, In a queue of traffic why wouldnt you let the two wheeler by? It is customary in most countries to give the motorcyclist room to overtake by pulling to the side of the road. In Malta it is the opposite, they pull to the right to stop you overtaking!!! Is it any wonder that motorcyclists will overtake on the inside, with all these selfish drivers there is plenty of room!!!
Yes, I am a biker and I have driven and ridden thousands of miles across Europe.
PS - P Camilleri, you need to ride a bike!!
N.Lawrence
Mar 20th 2010, 20:46
Actually, this bike is NOT made by Kia, The manufacturer in fact is Kymco, the model of this machine is Kymco 125 Pulsar CK 2005. Happy?
Ivan Galea
Mar 20th 2010, 20:29
@ P.Camilleri
Yes car drivers do ignore bikes cos its not them to fare the worse in case of an accident , in Malta people know the rules but no one go by them as stop means keep going , lights on amber means accellatrate ! I am a biker and you have to be in our seat to see how careless car drivers are ! I had 2 accidents in 5 months , The 1st one the car in front decided to turn to the right not putting on the indicator , the 2nd was on the lights (all cars were suppose to go straight to kenedy grove ,the car on my right changed his mind and crossed the road in front of me to turn to bugibba .Last sunday going to cirkewwa (where there are the waiting lanes) i forun a hired car driving against the no entry sign around the corner which if i didnt swirve in time would have ended on these pages probably . These are only some of the bad expiriances you find on the road when driving a bike !
A. Vella
Mar 20th 2010, 18:24
I've never heard of that brand! Was the bike a cross between a car and a bike??? AND our expert bloggers say it does 96 km/h in no time!!!!! This Kia Kymco has yet to be designed hahahaha
N.Lawrence
Mar 20th 2010, 16:32
My observations - I walk a lot, so I have plenty of time to watch others - are that the majority of motor cyclists treat speed limits with utter contempt. As far as they are concerned, the public highway is THEIR personal race track, RESIDENTIAL areas included.
P. Camilleri
Mar 20th 2010, 16:09
@ dAquilina
Car drivers dont ignore bikes on the road. the problem is that bike drivers drive more carelessly ignoring the fact that in an accident they are more prone to suffer than if they were driving a car. Moreover, most bike drivers (i am not referring to you) drive without considering who else is on the road.
p.s. another big problem is the type of helmet the bike drivers wear, which in most cases is not what the law considers appropriate.
James Green
Mar 20th 2010, 17:34
In the UK motorcyce helmets and boots are zero VAT rated (as should ALL safety related equipment be). Maybe if we followed in their footsteps (pun intended) motorcyclists could afford better quality items.
S. Fenech
Mar 20th 2010, 15:45
Pointing fingers is not going to solve any problem. How many of us, even the more cautious drivers, have never changed lane without looking at the side mirror, or looked just a moment too late? How many of us crossed on the lights, assuming that the light is going to remain yellow even if we have seen it meters away only to cross on the red? These are just two stupid mistakes we tend to do and can be deadly to anyone involved in an accident with us at the time they are done.
Cars, bikes and anything moving on the road can be deadly if one does not think before one acts. The roads are not in a situation to help avoid accidents. But this is no excuse for us drivers. We know they are not in a good state, so it is up to us to take the necessary precautions.
dAquilina
Mar 20th 2010, 15:02
The problem in Malta is that many car drivers just ignore a bike on the road. They think that because they are driving a car have more rights than a biker. I drive a bike mysely for work and a personal one and I don't know how many times they see me coming and yet ignore stop signs or else they get out from parking space carelessly.
Just be carful and pay more attention.
rien.langerveld
Mar 20th 2010, 14:49
True as said in one of the articles,these accidents do not happen only in Malta. However changes are enourmously bigger. I have been driving bikes for whole of my life. A biker needs to anticipate and look ahead what is happening.The thing is ,you have to look out for the next big pothole,a fellow trafic user who is on the wrong side of the road heading towards you or the persons who think indicators on their cars are there for show only.
Last year i drove into a pothole and broke my frontwheel of the bike. Do i drive fast ? I hardly reach a speed of 90 Km /Hr. Its not the country to speed. No roads ,No respect.
A Sammut
Mar 20th 2010, 14:00
@ F J Brincat.
"Speed does not kill - misuse of speed kills." WRONG. I am a biker myself. On many occasions, the only reason why I did not end up in hospital or even dead was that I was driving at a low or moderate speed. Even if I was driving carefully and obeying all traffic laws, on those occasions it was another driver that put my life in danger, for e.g. by ignoring a stop sign from a side road or by changing lanes suddenly and unexpectedly without any indication.
My point is that if I were going faster, I would not have been able to avoid the accident. So YES, SPEED KILLS. I am in no way referring to this particular accident as I don't know the dynamics.
F J Brincat
Mar 21st 2010, 08:34
Oh please. Do me a favour! People acting like Saints. Of course I am right! If you misuse speed (like speeding in a town centre) then of course that speed will kill - not just you, but you risk killing someone else with speed.
I know that as soon as I see a stretch of road that is either empty, straight and twisty I am going to drop through the gears and twist the throttle. And guess what? So do all the other riders! Useless denying it. I've seen it – bet you've seen it too. And anyway, my bike gets hot and bothered if I stay at 35mph for too long.
Joseph M. Scicluna
Mar 20th 2010, 13:29
@ W.Scicluna
That Kia Kymco motor-cycle is a has a125cc engine and can accelerate up to 96 km per hour in no time. However, I am no one to judge who's to blame. I fully agree with your comments except for the "lousy road". That happens to be one good tarmaced road. Put the blame only on the non-observance of the Traffic Regulations by irresponsible and careless drivers.
James Green
Mar 20th 2010, 17:49
The only quasi-decent road we have over here is St Pauls Bay bypass, and only IF lit adequately at night. The rest all suffer various shortcomings which on a small island like ours is inexcusable. Even more so when one considers the exhorbitant taxes motorists pay.
Just one example, on some newly laid roads, manhole covers are slowly sinking below road level.
Those who have driven abroad know what I'm talking about.
Those who haven't, should, and then pass comment.
P Muscat
Mar 20th 2010, 13:23
The way you write when a serious accident occurs seems that motor car and motor bike accident only happen in Malta.
There could thousands of reasons why this accident occured. Thats up to the Courts to decide whose fault it is.
Our job is to drive carefully.
The Roads Minister's job is to ensure that we have adequate, smooth and safe roads and vehicles.
Tony Gatt
Mar 20th 2010, 12:53
@ F.J. Brincat
We have signs on roads here in the U.K. saying "Speed Kills" so there must be something in it.
w.scicluna
Mar 20th 2010, 11:29
2 accidents in 2 days! Too much! And for anyone who thinks that this guy was driving at about 200km/h, that bike is a kymco and has a small engine so the rider could not have been going too fast. Its the lousy roads we have and then total disrespect from car owners. Here we have the mentality that the larger the vehicle we own, the more right we have. Cowboy country! Get well soon fellow biker and hope to see you on the road again!
F J Brincat
Mar 20th 2010, 12:02
Even a 50cc engine can reach speeds that could kill someone and you don't need a crash at 200kph. A crash at 40kph will not do the allignment of your skeleton any good.
Speed does not kill - misuse of speed kills. But in anycase the report does not mention overspeeding or otherwise so for now we are only jumping to conclusions.
G.Pisani
Mar 20th 2010, 12:10
How do you know it's the car driver's fault? It's an intersection there, the fault could be any one of them. Motorcyclist think they own the road, they surpass you with high speeds from the left or right they don't care. Just because they are on two wheels they think they have the right not to stay in traffic behind you, instead they drive on the double line and pass everyone.
Steve Cutajar
Mar 20th 2010, 11:19
And yet another one... 2 in 2 days.. it's becoming a trend in this Island.. @ All bikers - this is Malta guys!!! Just take care - roads conditions, crazy drivers and speed adrenaline are the perfect cocktail for these kinds of news...What a shame for a all these accidents.