Man critically injured in crash with coach

C Zammit

Aug 2nd 2010, 15:23

....and yet another.....

JAFarrugia

Aug 2nd 2010, 15:03

Another accident.
And again i'll repeat how to stop all this crazy driving.
1) More traffic police with proper laws backing them up.
2) Heavy fines/ vehicle impounding/banning drivers
3) Undercover traffic police in unmarked cars
4)Heavy fines for idiots in the outerlane (Exessive speed or doodling along/mobile phone use
Do the above and i can pretty much garuantee in 3 months you'll see a huge difference.

Daniela Polidano

Aug 2nd 2010, 11:07

I think that the majority of drivers talk/text and do one million other things and drive, so noone can point their fingers to heavy vehicle drivers. As for the overtaking, it is very common practice here in Malta that small vehicles are sooooo inpatient to drive behind heavy vehicle that they end up overtaking without taking into consideration the length of the vehicle in front of them. I witnessed a small car overtaking a coach this Saturday at the Coast Road just a few hours after this accident happened!!! Unbelievable, I guess noone is afraid to die anymore!!!!

Clare Galea

Aug 2nd 2010, 07:44

@Mariella Galea. People drive and sms on mobile phones in cars everywhere here where you need all your attention to driving especially because of the road quality (lack of!) bad drivers and traffic, all making it a lethal combination. There is a particular lady driver who sms's all the way along the Regional Road from Paceville to Kappara non stop every day ( I know because I take the same route) IN AN OPEN JEEP mind you for all to see and she never gets stopped by police! What an idiot!

simon cutajar

Aug 1st 2010, 09:45

When I saw the picture Above I thought to myself that the driver was driving with not more than 5 to 10 miles per hour !

Joe Fenech

Aug 1st 2010, 00:01

Heavy vehicle drivers need to be trained properly and pass a driving test every 2 years.

I've seen many cutting other drivers, looking down at their mobiles while sending SMSs, they NEVER indicate...

Peter Korsten

Jul 31st 2010, 22:00

My goodness, that is one heck of a crash. Now I usually don't join the chorus of the 'speed kills, told you so' fraternity, but I can't see how this happened unless at least one of the two vehicles was seriously speeding. Given the age of the injured driver, it's easy to speculate. But let's hope he will recover.

But even this morning, at around the same time as this, some idiot in a blue car (didn't get the make or the number plate) was sort of trying to drive between the cars in the left and the right lanes, on the Marsa-Hamrun Bypass (between the Mriehel Bypass and 13th December Road), cutting me and other people off.

Why?! You'd be tempted to do a PIT manoeuvre on him, if this were Grand Theft Auto and not real life. But honestly, some people should be taken of the road and given a good beating.

ms ghoare

Jul 31st 2010, 21:33

@ Charles Micallef, the only reson UK are getting rid of speed cameras is because Malta offered the best price to buy them , If we need to educate the drivers in Malta first they need to learn to drive and small or electric bike for 2 years which it doesnt do more then 30klm so they will learn and know how it feels ,

WE need more sleeping policeman = or shall i say street bumps to slow everybody down .

Sorry guys but i do agree with speed cameras especially in the st pauls bay area ,
trid it-trunciera qawra , st pauls bay bypass, and triq il kahli, they are unbeliveable , we lay to sleep and can hear the bikes and car racing like mad ,
We need to leave 15 minutes earlier so you dont need to speed.good day all

S Vella

Jul 31st 2010, 20:03

Jien nahseb li d-dixxiplima fejn jidhol traffiku hawn Malta qed nuzawha sakemm wiehed jitla ghat test tas sewqan BISS!!
Tisma ragunijiet verament banali ghaliex wiehed jehel mit test...u bejnek u bejn ruhek tghid KEMM HAWN DIXXPLINA FIS SEWQAN fuq din l-art, pero la darba jirnexxilek iggib di l-imbierka licenzja donnu r-regolamenti kollha josfru! Dak kollu li kien ma jistghax isir ghax ma taghddix, tarah isir ta kulljum quddiem ghajejk anki minn min forsi huwa dmiru li jinforza l-ligijiet.....
Id-dixxiplina f'dan il-pajjiz tlifnijha meta telqu l-Inglizi minn Malta SFORTUNATAMENT.
Ghadni QATT ma rajt Breatheliser jintuza s'issa jien!!

Cliffton Ray

Jul 31st 2010, 19:54

I would like to comment that, unfortunately in Malta, its like Mr.Micallef said, drasctic changes are needed, and it has to start by educating the public. I UK spends millions evry year on advertising on media about the dangers of speeding and other irresponsabile driving. I am Maltese and have lived in the UK for over 6 years, I recently had to take an exam from the British DVLA, and I was amazed of how hard the practical side of it was, perhaps thats another way of teaching our younger drivers to behave should be.

Charles Micallef

Jul 31st 2010, 19:08

@ William McCarthy
May I ask if one can compare the standard of driving and enforcement in Malta with that of the UK?? ..... hence goes my thoughts that while "some" counties in UK are removing their speed cameras, Malta's standard of driving discipline and enforcement is still years behind that of UK, that is why we have to shock and educate the drivers first, then one day we might be in a position to follow some Counties in UK and do away with the speed cameras.....till then the standard of driving in Malta is reminiscing of the Flintstones........... Or of a similar age!

m. farrugia

Jul 31st 2010, 18:12

Giov. Demartino. I do not want to defend the action of any of the drivers but you cannot judge from the photo. The car was cut in pieces by the police. In our streets we need a lot of things to better the situation. Education is the number one point. Another point is that the TRansport Malta we increase and replace the damaged furniture. I have been reporting and voicing my plea on various radio stations for the last 4 years. The worst of all are the damaged traffic bollards which indicate that there is a pavement or a central strip. I can assure everyone that from St. Paul's Village to Bir id-deheb which is the road I take everyday there are at least 55 of these bollard, without light on, damaged or hit by cars and not replaced.

M. Avellino

Jul 31st 2010, 17:55

ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT: before jumping to conclusions I suggest that one gets the facts straight before jumping to conclusions.

Charles Micallef

Jul 31st 2010, 17:36

To all......Yesterday I wrote a contribution to the Times which I hope will be published soon, suggesting that a Safe Driving Campaign is well overdue and copied our Prime Minister. I was delighted to note that our PM answered me back with the following message........


Ghaziz Sur Micallef

Grazzi hafna ghal messagg tieghek. Naqbel mas-suggeriment li ghamiltli u ghalhekk qieghed nibghat kopja lil Ministru koncernat.

Lawrence Gonzi
Prim Ministru

Simon Fenech

Jul 31st 2010, 17:07

@ Joe Galea
I cannot assume you were driving at 80km/h when you were overtaken? I have been commuting the coast road at least 4 times daily for the last 5 years and apart from a couple of turns, it can all be safely driven between 60 & 80 km/h. Some irresponsible people seem to think that they own the road and drive along at 30 or 35km/h. If I overtake i'm called irresponsible and reckless! Do these people own the road? If you honk the horn they will slow down further or offend you! It is time that people realise that speed limits exist on both ends of the scale and roads are tools of communication and not recreation areas. When you go to a Splash & Fun you are subject to a variety of rules. You cannot obstruct the stairs and after you use the chute you have to get away from the pool. This is all done as courtesy to other paying users. So what is different on our roads where every one pays taxes? Why do we think it's ok to create a rolling traffic jam?! While speeding kills hot heads kill more!

William Attard McCarthy

Jul 31st 2010, 16:55

We have recently seen an increase in traffic fines for certain offences. This is not enough! These fines have to be made steeper and enforcement has to be increased tenfold. All this must be backed up by our lawcourts, dishing out maximum fines. It is also high time for a points system to be introduced on driving licences. Mr. Micallef, I guess speed cameras are just not enough (take the UK for example, where speed cameras are actually being turned off now).

I have personally avoided too many an incident where the car in front of me slows down to 40km/hr in seconds exactly before an 80km/hr camera. I have seen too many a driver in my rear view mirror nearly bash my bumper while texting on their mobile phones.

All we need is enforcement and stiffer sentences... and we need them now!!

Simon Fenech

Jul 31st 2010, 16:48

Now here is my controversial philosophy on the subject. Life & business cannot be stopped or slowed down. Drivers looking for an adrenaline rush or racing against time for a late appointment now do so in unsafe and mostly single carriageway secondary roads since most of the dual carriageway arterial roads have speed cameras. Everyone was crazier in adolescence and everyone did crazy things with cars. Thank god the majority got away with it. Humans have always been humans and will always be humans! It has always been like this and it will always be like this especially now with more cars on the road and with modern cars where a 100bhp motor is the norm. Couple that with ever increasing queues and traffic lights and everyone is late. Also one has to compare the statistical data of deaths per pessenger kilometer with other countries. I think what is really needed is a very efficient public transport offering panctual services and more cheaper taxis working tirelessly (regular fords & fiats) not poshy bmw & mercedes cars where you never know how much a trip is going to cost. I hope the driver recovers.

Charles Micallef

Jul 31st 2010, 16:03

@ m. anastasi

Sorry if you do not agree with 'my pathetic unoriginal solution', tough luck my friend, my thoughts are aimed at reducing the daily carnage, and not making noises because I abuse the speed limit and then I am petrified of getting caught and fined!

Maria Zammit

Jul 31st 2010, 15:55

I assume the experts who write are drivers too like myself so blaming everything and everyone but themselves is an exercise is irresponsibility.

1. the reason accidents happen on our road may be one of the following: carelessness, being inebriated, under the influence of medication / drugs, our temperement, the heat, tiredness etc but not the condition of the road because no matter what the condition is, being a good driver means adjusted your speed to the road conditions / situations (day, night, rain or shine).

2. Lack of enforcement.

3. We don't learn from other accidents.

4. We don't admit we are any of the above and so think it won't happen to us.

Let's start now to change so that it won't be any of us next time!

GiovDeMartino

Jul 31st 2010, 15:25

I have been saying it for ages: overspeeding aka qziez is nearly always to blame. The picture speaks for itself!

Joe Galea

Jul 31st 2010, 15:13

Yesterday while driving through teh Coast Road a Private Coach overtook me in a turn! imagine if someone was coming from the otherside of the road. Also a lot of bus drivers drive like they are the kings of the road, because they are in a hurry not to be late for not getting a warning.

mario aquilina

Jul 31st 2010, 14:56

Chris Finch, this week, I had a police car following me from Salina road to Suncrest, and while I indicated at every corner as to where I was going, not once did they bother to put their indicator on.
I deliberately kept an eye on them, as I had just skipped another police car that did not indicate when turning.
They should be the once setting an example: like the two police motorcylist riding their bikes close to each other, and having a chat, in the middle of the road.

chirpy chirpy cheep cheep, I give up.

L Caruana

Jul 31st 2010, 13:46

The biggest problems we have in our roads is because everyone is paying road tax thinks he is the king of the road and stays on both lanes or uses the fast lane to go with a snails pace. those persons should be fined not good drivers who know what are they doing. where are the police and wardens who give a justified fine. not for speeding that is a tax nothing else than a tax but those who dont observe the law and think tahjt the road is for their own own and dont think of anyone else who maybe got an emergency

JOe VELLa

Jul 31st 2010, 13:25

After each accident that I hear or read, the first thing that comes to my mind are my children if they where caught in the accident, most injuries have life time consequence!
Let us us stop claiming our roads are of EU stands!
Where is the enforcement of those in authority for road safety?
The roads are safe as much as who ever is responsible keep them so!
Stop this slaughter!

Mariella Galea

Jul 31st 2010, 13:24

I totally agree with Chris Finch

It's about time that something is done... everday you meet with drivers talking on their mobile phones not just one or two but up to 6 from Naxxar to Valletta. Public Transport Bus Drivers Walking on their mobile phones, smoking and driving without touching the steering going at 60km/h or more in Msida Valley (I was on the Bus) others texting whilst driving... very few people stop on STOP Signs or Give Way.

Everytime I have an errand I return home fuming from the idioces I see on the road and consider myself lucky for not having been in an accident or worse. People who put other people's lives should be severly punished.

Where are the Wardens?? Where are the Police??

Stephen Koludrovic

Jul 31st 2010, 13:06

It might be time to start giving an IQ test to some of our drivers.

joseph M. Scicluna

Jul 31st 2010, 13:01

@ Mr Finch

very well said but I assure you that your good arguments and suggestions will fall on deaf ears as usual.

@ G. Schembri

In this case taking into consideration the amount of damage sustained by the vehicles, there must have been an element of speeding - it's quite obvious.

Let's hope that both drivers get well soon.

Teresa Pace

Jul 31st 2010, 12:41

Two accidents in a day and it is still noon! Too many accidents are happening. I think that it is partly due to some degree of road rage?! Maybe?! You know, a driver thinks that it is his right, the other think that it is his right and that just it...it happens, an accident. Calm down! Better arrive a minute or two later than not at all! How critical is the young driver hurt? I hope in God that the young man will be fine again.

Malcolm Felix

Jul 31st 2010, 12:27

As I wrote before....
Programmi u tghallim ghandna kemm trid! Enforcement ta xejn imma! Tibda gurnata ohra, u tal-bierah ma jghodd xejn! Dak jgerri mod, l-iehor slow fil fast lane u sejrin, the usual bla bla bla! Shame on authorities! Shame on authorities! Shame on authorities!

m.anastasi

Jul 31st 2010, 12:27

@ Charles Micallef.......''a speed camera is well overdue,''

I hope your driving isn't as poor as your pathetic unoriginal solution'
Ask yourself a simple question...Have traffic accidents lessened since the introduction of speed cameras or have they increased??
You don't have to be over speeding to overtake a car travelling at 30kph but you do find yourself in the middle of the road thanks to selfish slow drivers who dictate the speed that traffic behind them should be

Leon Zawadzki

Jul 31st 2010, 12:11

Chris Finch.

'Get every police officer out on the roads'
No, not before a large number re-sit their driving test. The police on many occasions do not set a good sample of driving skills, in fact it would be fair to say they are as bad, if not worst than the average drivers, but they get away with it due to there position in society. It should also be noted that a large number of police vehicles should not be on the road due in the main to defective light and indicators.
The police should set an ex-sample to all, not just the drivers.

Robert Calafato

Jul 31st 2010, 12:08

Yes, just install another speed camera and everything will be fine!! What is needed is ruthless enforcement and an education program starting in kindergarden level like we had in Australia 50 years ago!!!!!!!

Neil Bugeja

Jul 31st 2010, 12:08

Those who did not see the accident happening cannot judge. It must have been a terrible scene but we cannot assume that the driver was overtaking or overspeeding or breaking the law. It does seem so, but we cannot just make statements without knowing what happened. Maybe the coach driver will tell us

Chris Finch

Jul 31st 2010, 11:09

I think enough is enough. I have a suggestion to the government.
Have an outright blitz on bad driving practices. Get every police officer out on the roads and starting to pull over ALL drivers (including bus and minibus) they see for all and any infringment of traffic regulations. Hand out fines with impunity.
Obviously some (those that drive badly) will not like this, so I would suggest the officers in pairs with video surveillance in the cars for evidence.
Also introduce a points system on the licenses.
THis will have the following benefits:
1. Increase revenue for the government. On my way to work this morning I could have handed out at least 5 tickets including one for a guy not stopping in a side street and nearly hitting me.
2. hopefully will educate those bad drivers
3. calm things down on the roads
4. reduce accidents
5 save lives
I know a lot of people will not like this but the current problem is there is little to no enforcement on the roads, so everyone drives how they like.

Charles Micallef

Jul 31st 2010, 11:03

Qawra Road Peril

Could we appeal to the relevant authorities to look into the possibility of controlling what has become a racing circuit on Qawra Seafront? As the recently completed road side wall repairs clearly confirm, the number of serious accidents, which have demolished various parts of the wall with the last accident causing a seven car pile up with two of the cars being total right-offs, the misuse of this road is dangerous and fatal consequences are just a matter of time

The above is a copy of part of letter published by this newspaper some months back,
highlighting Qawra Road RACING CIRCUIT! The remainder of the letter was appertaining to a pelican crossing by the football ground, which suggestion was taken on board and the works is near completion!

When are the authorities going to take action and slow down these maniacs?

Leon Zawadzki

Jul 31st 2010, 11:02

Why do people alway come out with the excuse that the roads of Malta are overcrowded with vehicles especially just after a road traffic accident ? Over the past fifteen years of driving on the roads of Malta on a daily basic,I think I can truly say "I have never been stuck in a traffic jam lasting longer than 15-20 minutes", and this would be on very rare occasions. Now if you take New York, London, Naples or even Paris, these locations could be classified as overcrowded roads, traffic jams can last for hours. The problem on the roads of Malta is not the number of vehicles, but mainly the mentality of the drivers. Also contributing towards the problem is the state of the roads and traffic sign / markings plus the non enforcement of traffic regulation by the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Any driver, driving within the law and obeying the rules and regulations of the road, can reach any part of Malta within the hour even with traffic holdups. This includes any where in the South to any where in the North. Just plan your route in your head in advance to the road journey.

L. Cassar

Jul 31st 2010, 10:56

Ninnota hafna sewwieqa! li meta jsuqu ma jzommhux f`nofs il- lane taghhom.........!

Charles Micallef

Jul 31st 2010, 10:50

This is the same road that on numerous occasions, some of us highlighted to the authorities by numerous letters to the 'Editor' of this newspaper that this road is constantly being used as a racing circuit on a daily basis and this accident is a prime example !

The distance that these vehicles were found after this accident is confirmation that the speed limit was not being observed!

Yes...............a speed camera is well overdue,
irrespective if some like it or not, as it is the
only way that some will stop abusing the law

richard

Jul 31st 2010, 10:37

we need to be free from problems and have more attention (consentration) during driving. we have signs whenever we look aroung,speed camera's, traffic lights,sometimes wordens etc. As one can see new narrow roads are opening to avoid cars jumping across the lanes. so we are tight enough and we need to be more?

i believe that every one is the solution of this problems because not the cars are creating the accidents but the human is unfortunately duning than. It is important to open our mind and think about.

Car is an important tool because keys are in our hands and we can go werever we want. As we can read from this article the driver was from xaghra.

Please avoid accidents avoid ambulance .

spiteri victor

Jul 31st 2010, 10:24

DIN TRASKURAGNI GRASSA TRIQ WISA BHAL DIK

G. Caruana

Jul 31st 2010, 10:13

A wide stretch road, with good visibilty... but still everyone overtakes and you cannot drive in peace at 7.30AM.

Paul Barrett

Jul 31st 2010, 10:09

A sad start to the day, let us all hope that the car driver recovers.

G Schembri

Jul 31st 2010, 09:54

Mela ejja nibdew: Tort tat-triq? Tort tas-sewwieq? Tort tal-Gvern? Ghaggla zejda? Human error? Mechanical fault? Suicide? Overspeeding?
L-esperti kollha li kienux hemm imma jafu ezatt x'gara ghax huma attrezzati b'poteri sopra naturali huma nvitati jibdew jiktbu il-kunkluzjonijiet taghhom. Jew tista ssejjahlu wkoll tpatpit. One, two, three .... START !!

Franco Farrugia

Jul 31st 2010, 09:37

I am merely using this episode as a starter and I am absol. not referring to this yet another accident - but don't people see that serious accidents on our roads are taking place every single day if not more in one day?
1. Isn't it about time that something was URGENTLY done to address the problem of overcrowding of cars on our roads? The answer is a very good transport system - but it seems that this new system that has been promised will only materialise in the distant future!
2. Drivers seem to be continually late to wherever their destination is - so, they tend to overspeed, show lack of respect for the highway code, show a general lack of respect for the other drivers - and the larger the vehicle, more often, the more arrogant and aggressive the driving seems to become but am I the only person noticing these things?
3. Even those who crawl at a snail's pace add up to the problems on our roads - they increase road rage.
4. Parking in certain areas - it seems that some business establishments (Queen's, Hamrun?) are above the law and patrons park extremely dangerously.