Roundabout and traffic island sprinklers worry motorists

Motorists may have to pay a price for the lush roundabouts and traffic islands as water from the sprinklers irrigating the vegetation inadvertently flows to the adjacent roads, making them slippery and potentially hazardous.

A case in point is the roundabout in Kappara where the Valletta-bound side of the roundabout is always wet late at night.

The roundabout happens to be on an incline, which adds to the hazard, according to Simon Micallef Stafrace, a lawyer specialising in traffic law.

“Basically, any kind of substance thrown on a street may cause an accident. Now, if you’re talking about a road on an incline, the possibility of an accident occurring increases. Water on a curve on an incline is definitely hazardous,” Dr Micallef Stafrace said, adding it could cause vehicles, especially motorbikes, to skid.

Cedric Vella had more than a bad experience on the Kappara roundabout.

“Once, my scooter just skidded while I was driving at night. Thankfully, there weren’t any cars around or it could have been nastier,” he said.

“The second time I skidded I had a passenger and I was driving even more carefully because of my previous accident. However, I still lost control and my passenger has never ridden pillion again. Another time, I was very careful and I still lost control,” he added, insisting he had not been driving at speed.

Stefan Schembri said he was approaching the roundabout at about 4 a.m. when he suddenly lost control of his car.

“I don’t think it’s a good situation that we have oil coming from a nearby petrol station and then there are sprinklers exacerbating the problem,” Mr Schembri said.

The roundabout in question is managed by the Environmental Landscapes Consortium. Its general manager, Ronald Cuschieri, said some spillage would occur because the extreme edges of the turf had to be watered as well, but the ELC tried to limit spillage as much as possible.

Dr Cuschieri denied that the volume of water flowing onto the road was substantial or that this created a problem in the area.

“Whatever the case, the volume of water involved does not make the road more slippery than when it rains,” he insisted. “The truth is those who complain are in many instances speeding more than they should. Most do not seem to comprehend the need to keep in mind that the gradient of the road necessitates care and attention for their own safety at all times (water or not).”

The solution, Dr Cuschieri said, would be to have a buffer zone with no turf, making it unnecessary for the sprinklers to extend their reach to the edges of the roundabout.

He said the ELC inspected the sprinklers daily to see they were working properly and ensure they had not been stolen or vandalised. According to law, no one was allowed to throw anything onto the road, even though this provision was not always enforced, Dr Micallef Stafrace said.

“There is also the issue of negligence. Whoever is responsible for placing the sprinklers could be held responsible. I don’t know whether it could be considered criminal negligence or not,” Dr Micallef Stafrace said, adding that a housewife throwing water into the street during washing up could expose herself to action in court.