Updated: Woman dies in Coast Road crash

Roberto Benetti

Nov 29th 2010, 15:34

Well I'm currently working in Dubai, although I had my Maltese Driving Licence I had to do an intensive 1 month course to get the UAE Driving Licence (international) as somehow Malta is not listed as a conversion country and I managed to pass the driving test immediately. Driving in the United Arab Emirates is an everyday adrenalin-rush... fearing for your life. If you can survive and drive well in Dubai, you can drive pretty much anywhere in the world! For sure best roads ever in UAE with lots of live video monitoring/speed/traffic cameras+radars down here, and police patrols the roads 24/7 with such devices mounted on their mobile cars roof which is linked to the operations room so basically they place themselves in random locations/positions. * Hereby link related with Traffic Violations and Fines which can be very costly and the way I see it is that Transport Malta should revise/adopt certain policies to ensure safety in our roads. http://www.dubaipolice.gov.ae/dp/english/e_services.jsp?Page=A26&Id=11137&num2=INF&mainlayid=196

JBugeja

Nov 29th 2010, 14:50

All these comments about drink driving/ over speeding/speed cameras etc..etc.. could all be solved if we had cheaper taxi's and a proper public transportation that work's all over the island. Why do I have to pay 25euro for a taxi just to get me from Paceville to Marsascala?, Or a Bus that works only till a certain hour and will only get me to Zabbar? Or wouldn't be just easier to take a nice shiny sport car out of the garage and risk driving it? Sometime's us "irresponsible youths" don't have a choice.May she rest in peace.

smifsud

Nov 28th 2010, 22:18

i send my heartfelt condolences to the family of this young beautiful woman may you rest in peace ... my prayers to the family and to the victim of this tragedy and i hope the injured get well very soon ...life is short we must learn from our mistakes and not repeat them and if we do keep repeating the same mistakes then its "insane"

Brian Smith

Nov 28th 2010, 21:35

In the Uk the driver would be charged with causing death through dangerous driving

J. Camilleri

Nov 28th 2010, 15:46

I don't think it's fair to talk about drunk driving, speeding, and whatever.. we weren't there when the accident took place so none of us can judge! That's up to the authorities.

May the poor girl rest in peace and condolences to her family. And my heartfelt sympathies to the young lad who will have to live with the remorse for all his life.

HAVE SOME RESPECT!

Pule' Carmel

Nov 28th 2010, 15:31

Since human reflexes are such that one, irrispective of how young he/she is, cannot ever react to what he/she encounters, in anything less thas one quarter of a second, then a slight interruption at speed, would go uncontrolled for at least a third of a second and that is a killer when a car travells at more than 40kilometers per hour. This parameter than any human being will travelled uncontrolled for a period of time after he sees some activity, is the hardest issue a driver need to accept. The younger you are the harder it is to accept. If one owns one of these modern car where one is relaxed most of the time then a fast wake up call to correct the situation will just not be possible, as the relax to activate duration depends on the level of relaxation one is in. In a modern car, we may relax too much to handle quick emergency activities and by the way Superman does not exist in reality! No one can be any faster than what I described. It will kill you if you ever think that you can beat my figures.

Peter Shaw

Nov 28th 2010, 10:52

Granted that the roads have an eneven surface ,potholes etc. But these are known facts about our roads and so one has to be extra careful to handle driving with these road handicaps.So its no excuse to blame the road condition.

Jimmy Wightman

Nov 28th 2010, 09:03

What an appalling waste of a young life. My sincere condolences to the family and her friends.

Without knowing the facts of the case one cannot in fairness judge the actions of this young driver that led to this tragic loss of life (that is for the courts and their experts to determine), but thousands of people use the same stretch of road and don't have an accident. It's not about speed limit (and speed cameras or lack thereof) or the state of the roads, conditions that do not really change that quickly or even those that do change rapidly like early morning dew (weather) or traffic; its about behaviours. For all the comments about speed cameras etc... the least common comodity on roads today is common sense and good situational awareness with an appalling failure of many drivers to recognize the consequences of their actions.

I also pity the young man who will live with this for the rest of his life but I do hope that some sense of justice will prevail when this tragic loss comes to court.

alex gauci

Nov 28th 2010, 04:31

jien ma nafx ghaliex l-awtorita nehhew il camera mil- coast road.jiena noghoq ezatt fejn gara dan l-incident,ara ma tahsbux li meta kien hawn il camera ma naqsux bill kbir l-incidenti hawn.kif erjgajna nehhew il camera,is sewwieqa draw li ma ghadiex hemm u rega kullhadd nizzel gas down.jien nohrog kmieni u ma jaghdiex weekend li ma jkunn'x hemm'x xi tip ta incident f'din il parti ta triq il kosta. u haga ohra xtaqt nieghed; IL PULIZIJA FEJN IKUNNU FIL WEEKEND WARRA IS SAGHTEJN TA BIL- LEJL PLEASE. ghaliex tkunn qed issuq lejn paceville wara dan il hin,TITWERWER .PLEASE TIME FOR ACTION.

Grima D

Nov 28th 2010, 01:16

Actually a better solution for these accidents is simple... Better Tarmac on our roads..
you seriously dont know how the roads of malta are with just a little bit of rain.. slipperry as hell.. a car can skid really easely thus making an attempt to brake nearly impossible as the driver loses control. .. nearly 80% percent of the accidents that occur in malta are due to the fact of our state of the art roads.. full of holes and uneven surfaces.. not to mention the high grade tarmac..

Peppi Micallef

Nov 28th 2010, 00:17

So young. May she rest in pace. So, so sad. Sad for herself and sad for her family. Sometimes life is really unfair.

Joseph Vassallo

Nov 27th 2010, 20:32

An 18-year-old is not a woman. She is just somebody's kid.

David Smith

Nov 27th 2010, 19:27

My comment is not to cast judgement in this particular case. My the poor victim rest in peace and the driver make a full and speedy recovery.
There are lots of comments about mobile speed cameras and fixed cameras to stop the lunacy. There are many problems associated with these ideas mainly that mobile cameras are not available 24/7 and with fixed speed cameras people get to know where they are.
How about adopting something used often in the UK? Average speed cameras. For example a notorious road has a fixed speed limit and a camera covering all lanes (both directions) is placed one end and the same at the other. Using ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology every car that enters the zone is registered also those leaving also the computer works out the average speed. Doing this stops drivers slowing down for a speed camera then speeding up once past it. Drivers caught speeding are fined and any deemed excessively speeding could have their licences suspended.
I am not in favour of picking on motorists but there has to be a change of attitude to make drivers responsible for their actions. Every driver responsible.

John Vella

Nov 27th 2010, 18:13

Where are the road blocks..........its ages ive been into one - where are the alchohol tests in the streets ?? and most of all were are the police at night ??

Conrad Borg Manché

Nov 27th 2010, 17:59

First and foremost I would like to send my sincere condolences to the family of the victim.
In August 2008 I had a similar experience I ended up on the rocks but luckily I am still alive.
I am sorry to say but the authorities responsible for roads safety don’t have a clue in this country and I say this with responsibility. Probably a crash barrier would have saved another life. What are you guys waiting for.
When I had the accident I came across a whole paddle of oil and I had no control anymore and no choice. But luckily I only had slight injuries; the nurses couldn't believe I had nothing serious. It seems that the govt is only interested in collecting fines from the drivers and installing sleeping policemen everywhere but not in providing the proper road safety.

Install the crash barriers once and for all on this bloody coast road.

JAFarrugia

Nov 27th 2010, 17:44

Rip young lady.
Accidents happen, it's a sad part of life, stop sommenting now people it's not the time and place.

Michael Vella

Nov 27th 2010, 17:37

This is really sad and tragic news :(

May God be with the families of both victims involved and give them strength to cope with this tragedy. My heart goes out to the family of the poor girl that lost her life in this accident.

May she rest in peace.

Franco Cassar Manghi

Nov 27th 2010, 17:19

Rest in Peace. I remember you at work last summer :/

Condolences to the family.

Martin Schranz

Nov 27th 2010, 16:22

Mobile speed camera vans would be the solution. Together with a halving of the speed limits, a hefty on-the spot fine and immediate confiscation of the vehicles skipping the speed limit. This would halt the carnage for sure.

Mary Fisher

Nov 27th 2010, 16:10

All the comments before mine are very justified. Cutting speed would rightly cut mortality on the Maltese roads. But most Maltese will not kill their speed. They are either genuinely in a hurry or too pig headed to allow a car to be infront of them. Most of my life I drove on English roads and yes, we do need some of the English traffic police here or let some of us volunteer to be the eyes of the police while on the road and report those who use their phones while driving, overspeed, send exhaust fumes intermittantly and do all the errors for which if they were abroad they would not be allowed to own a car never mind drive one. On the authorities' side I strongly advise better road surfaces and more police vigilance. Only yesterday I was on the Coastal Road and I remarked how eneven the road surface is and I put that down to the vast amount of rain which Bahar ic- Caghaq usually attracts. Let us please all work together to make Maltese roads safe for ourselves, our children and our visitors.

Andy Towler

Nov 27th 2010, 15:23

Bad roads don't kill people.
Pure speed doesn't kill people.
Bad drivers kill people.

Massimo Costa

Nov 27th 2010, 14:56

Putting up more speed cameras is not going to solve anything. There is a limit to how many cameras you can put. The fact remains that every year a number of people will die in traffic accidents - it happens the world over, and there is no way to completely stop this from happening. As they say, you have a greater chance of being killed in a car than in a plane crash.

This accident happened in the early hours of the weekend. I cannot say for certain, however it is probable that this accident was caused by a combination of drunk driving, and a gung-ho attitude on the part of the driver. It is very easy to lose control of a car when driving along the coast road. Doing things such as pressing the break while entering a turn at high speed, may cause the car's momentum to shift, and the driver to lose control. Most drivers know nothing about vehicle dynamics, and about the behaviour of front wheel drive vehicles. I suggest that such drivers should keep their high speed adventures confined to their video game consoles.

JOSEPH ZAMMIT

Nov 27th 2010, 13:39

For all the authorities concerned:
Using of mobile phones while driving. Yes, this is a major issue. I experienced this more than once, in the mornings, on B'kara bypass and elsewhere. On one occasion a big van in front of me was changing lanes haphazardly and when it slowed down and I overtook it, the driver was seen talking on his mobile.
Abroad, studies were made that even with blue tooth models or mobiles on dashboard brackets, still the distraction is there because it is conversation that weakens the concentration. It is enough to have light conversation + radio/CD music to distract our attention, let alone arguments which totally confuse the attention.
Abroad, during driving tests, the examiner tries to distract the learner by engaging him in conversation--so, the point is to have more control under heavy fines on driving and phoning. Its all a question of ATTENTION and concentration.

Vincent Galea

Nov 27th 2010, 13:34

It only takes milliseconds for the brain to swap from one task to another, but even in that short time can result in shattered lives if a car pulls out in front of you at the very moment you are talking to your partner about her beautiful dress.
In this day and age of wondrous potential of our new technologies something is missing and that something is attention. Is focusing becoming a lost art ?

Joseph Barbara

Nov 27th 2010, 13:16

Another life wasted. God only knows the anguish the family of the victim is in. This accident has marred their lives forever. Yet nothing really effective is ever done to prevent such horrible events. It is useless to have laws unless they are enforced in a serious manner. Most of our law enforcement people simply could not be bothered unless it is a simple ticked for parking etc. Drastic measures have to be laid down and enforced. We have become an increasingly arrogant nation especially where driving is concerned. I challenge anyone in authority to drive for 1 hour and experience no less than 10 violations as though nothing has happened. This is ridiculous. Anyone caught overspeeding should have his/her licence revoked for a number of years. A second similar offence and the car would be confiscated. We, as a nation, only respond when drastic measures are enforced. Most accidents would not be lethal if the speed is not excessive. My condolences to the family of the victim and I pray that the next overspeeding moron won't be the cause of my death or that of a member of my family.

Andrew Borg-Cardona

Nov 27th 2010, 13:10

Just a thought: could comments be blocked on storiesnsuch as this? The way everyone rushes in to pass judgement or deliver his opinion, generally based on little information and plenty of pre-conceived ideas, is little short of ghoulish.

g. scerri

Nov 27th 2010, 12:44

Those who immediately jump to conclusions and suggest more cameras (even hidden ones), more wardens (Malta is crawling with them and we all complain) more traps, more of this and that are (1) punishing the majority of law abiding drivers and (2) helping to create a police state which they would be the first to decry.

GiovDeMartino

Nov 27th 2010, 12:31

Excuse me, but I have to repeat: There is a very simple solution: Hidden speedcameras and a fine of 5000 euros for overspeeding and for using the mobile while driving. Confiscation of car for second offence. Taraw x'ghaqal jitrabba.

jenny Stevens

Nov 27th 2010, 12:21

What a sad waste of a precious life my sympathy to her family.
I do get exasperated when the overtaking lane is referred to as fast lane also when cars just sit in this lane so that anyone behind does not get the chance to over take.

When I see the way that some people drive their cars I am surprised there are not more fatalities

Noel Mifsud

Nov 27th 2010, 12:10

Pity for a loss of life, but moreity for losing a life of someone who is walking, running or driving carefully in the road, and just a sudden face death infront oif his eyes. God may her soul rest in peace. For the young man, I hope his driving licence will be suspended for all his life, he is not having a car in his hand, but a lethal weapon. Thx

Paul Barrett

Nov 27th 2010, 11:56

First, my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased young lady.

Secondly, for all the traffic experts.
We have (from the report above) no idea what may have happened to cause this tragic accident, it could well be a simple puncture or a mechanical breakdown and the speed limit on that particular part of the road is I believe 70 kph.

Any and every road everywhere (not just in Malta) is dangerous. It is the responsibility of every driver to drive in a manner and speed in which he/she can control the vehicle, restricted by both the legal speed limits and the conditions prevailing at the time. True there are many faults with both the construction, road markings and signs on the roads here in Malta but that in turn puts more responsibility on the driver to drive with care.

In general (and nothing to do with this particular accident). There will be accidents, however good the roads, irrespective of speed cameras and it is about time that drivers learn to drive sensibly - always expect the unexpected.

JOSEPH ZAMMIT

Nov 27th 2010, 11:43

Really sad! 18-year old? What a pity? May her soul be comforted.
At 5 am the roads would be slightly wet from a film of dew that descends during the night. i agree with Maria Galea--we are careless and selfish drivers. if we know that our roads are below standard and that not well lit, then why gamble with speed?
I remember the driver who used to pick me up for work for night shift, he used to live in UK, he used to tell me to use the indicators even when the roads are empty--just to get into the habit of using them and this i passed on to my kids.
I admit there is a buzz in speeding, but the risk, especially in Malta, are high and lethal. One can only gain 5-10mins by speeding, but is it worth to gamble your life for those 10mins?
Life is special, a miracle in itself, no use waste it like that.

sandro pace

Nov 27th 2010, 11:31

As much as one improves, ultimately drivers have to adopt to the roads, and not vice versa.
They cannot always be straight and wide. Not even in larger countries.

Other than that, more deterrence. If common sense and discipline cannot be instilled voluntarily they have to be imposed. More (well placed) speed cameras, traps, More breathyliser tests at known places and times of high consumption, rigorously and on a sample basis. No arguments or refusals.

Hot spots are known and few in Malta. There is a lot of revenue to be generated that way, and it would be well gained by the State and deserved. I dont believe in education campaigns. They are a waste of money and airtime. Hefty fines and harsh punishments (not suspended) will do the trick more efficiently and cost- effectively.

Simple things, but business interests and an idiotic car-sanctifying culture are probably standing in the way.

Joseph Tonna

Nov 27th 2010, 11:17

Meta persuna tkun ila ftit snin issuq kulma ikollha l kwalifika, izda mhux l-esperjenza tas-sewqan...

john caruana

Nov 27th 2010, 11:17

According to comments when there are road accidents it is the fault of the roads or the authorities and everyone expects the latter to do something, cameras, crash barriers etc.

When is it that motorists are going say mea culpa. All roads, even the safetest ones, become dangerous if there is over speeding, under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If motorists drive in a responsible manner on the road they are using then fatal accidents should disappear.

My daughter got her licence three years ago. A year after she got her licence she was caught on camera overspeeding. Sha paid the fine and i also simply warned her that another similar ticket and she could forget driving the car again. It seems to have worked.

A Vella

Nov 27th 2010, 11:15

@ bajada S

I disagree with you. Lack of cameras DO NOT kill people. It is us who have to drive safely in the first place, we need to be more friendly and educated but unfortunately this is lacking on our roads, and these cases are the results. Its a sad thing to hear about this 18year old woman, but what will we learn from this? Nothing! So we'll wait for the next victim...

Raymond Huber

Nov 27th 2010, 11:02

I have been using this road for the last 38 years on regular basis and I never had one single accident.

The problem is not with the road but with most drivers if they could be called so.
I never drive when I’m tired, sleepy or drunk. I have a life to look after and I intended to keep doing so till the end of my time on this world.

There are to many cowboys out there and they need to be tamed of have their driving license REVOKED. This is what we expect from Transport Malta.

Speed cameras never bother me as I always stick to the limit and use the driving lane except when I want to overtake. Unfortunately we see too many drivers who in the most irresponsible manner drive 30/40 km/h on an 80 km/h road and when you are behind them and try to bring to their attention so that they move to the driving lane that give you fingers. But after all what else can you expect from idiotic drivers behind the wheels?

Sorry for the loss of life and speedy recovery for the injured.

Michael Cassar

Nov 27th 2010, 10:57

Bhalma dejjem ghidt u insistejt; Mhux il-cameras, mhux innehhi l-arbli tad-dawl, mhux inwahhal fis-sigar, izda nibqa' nghid li il-VELOCITA' kollox.

Mark Mercieca

Nov 27th 2010, 10:51

The road should be upgraded to a wide dual-carraigeway whereby traffic in opposite directions cannot overlap. It should then continue as a dual carraigeway through to St. Andrews and connect to Regional Road, and at the other end through to the St. Paul's Bay bypass. This 'motorway' would also have specific entrances and exits so as not to disrupt traffic flow. This would ensure a quicker yet safer journey, provided that proper motorway safety standards are put in place and enforced.

Franco Farrugia

Nov 27th 2010, 10:27

I am so sorry for yet another loss.
It's always 'others' that take the blame: not us. We never take the blame for anything. It's the 'other' that is to blame: not us. It's either the Government, the authorities, the pole, the road, the car, .... but not the people who are really responsible.
Speed kills. Get over it.

victor sammut

Nov 27th 2010, 10:22

jiddispjacini bil kbir ghal dawn iz-zaghzagh li qed imutu kwazi tort ta l-awtirito,nitkellem mil esperjenza li ghaddejt minna jien meta kont zaghzuh daqs 30-35 sena ilu,ix-xorb alcahol ghadek isubu tixtrih min kullumkien,u fejnhom ir ROADBLOOKS ghal min isuq FIS-SAKRA ma jarax ART,ir ROADBLOOKS ghandhom isuru kuljum fil weekends u jiqbaw sa fil-ghodu,

Andrew M.

Nov 27th 2010, 10:21

Poor girl, May she rest in peace :(
My deepest condolences to her family!

Wishing a full recovery to the young man

Jimmy Magro

Nov 27th 2010, 10:17

In cases like these one and sundry are always sorry. There is no other way that one feels in such fatal accidents.

But one expect the State to be everywhere as if we have a supernattural State and its citizens expect to have everything from birth to death. Look what has happened in countries where they had excessive public spending and rotten loans.

I hope the magesterial inquiry will be published by the ToM online and tell us the state of the car, the driver and the speed at the time of the accident.

I have driven this road a million times and never had an accident as I know it is a death trap due to its million corners. The best advice is to drive at 45km/per hour.

Amen.

G.Xuereb

Nov 27th 2010, 10:15

I agree with most of you that that road is not the safest road in Malta.
However it's a case of responsability. why should we put up cameras everywhere when its the drivers we need to educate. From the accident footage the driver was obviously driving very fast, what did he expect?
My condolences goes out to the family of the unfortunate tennager.

sandro pace

Nov 27th 2010, 09:39

Useless blaming the authorities in such cases, although roads can be improved. Everyone knows that that stretch of road is perilous by nature, so drive carefully and slowly with eyes wide open there instead of engaging in wreckless adrenaline driven driving, generally speaking. Roads are there to take us from point a to point b, safely, not necessarily in the shortest time or to the maximum of the 'car's performance'. Roads cannot always be straight and wide. Mostly, it's we that have to adopt to the roads, and not vice vera. The only blame that can be apportioned to the authorities is of not installing cameras every half a km on that road, and breatilyser armed police at the exit of entertainment centres. Both as a deterrent and as revenue (yes revenue) for those who want to put other's lives in danger. RIP to the victim. May her family find solace in this difficult time.

Mvella

Nov 27th 2010, 09:31

Before we go jumping on the fact that this road is once again a death trap - can we get the full information on

a) Where they speeding?
b) Was alcohol involved?
c) Where they tired after a night out on the town?
d) Where they overtaking dangerously?

If driving at responsible speeds, in responsible manners, that road is JUST FINE! (bar a pothole here or there) ....

Gerry Said

Nov 27th 2010, 09:23

How sad. My condolences to the family.

K Camilleri

Nov 27th 2010, 08:51

+ 1 in the Road of Death. - RIP.

When are the authorities going to wake up... get a serious traffic expert (cause it seems that in Malta we don't have one) and have a look at this lethal stratch of asphalt? Too much deaths on a regular basis!

Stephen Scicluna

Nov 27th 2010, 08:51

May this accident be an eye opener to those irresponsible parents who let their young children moving about in their cars - jumping from side to side, standing between seats, and hopping to the front.

Steve Zammit

Nov 27th 2010, 08:35

What a sad way to start our day reading this article. May she rest in peace and may the man recover

Something urgent with drastic action needs to be taken...this road has become a death trap:(

M Vella

Nov 27th 2010, 08:31

A terrible accident. May she rest in peace... This is a total MASSACRE!!!!!! I use this road once in a while and often there's an accident. Yesterday another car jumped off the pavement onto to the rocks. Urgent action needs to be taken by the authorities or do we need more DEATHS to decide?!

J.Apap

Nov 27th 2010, 08:28

SPEED KILLS. AMEN

bajada s

Nov 27th 2010, 07:57

WHEN THE AUTHORITIES WILL STOP THIS MASSACRE. put much more cameras where they are needed . that had been a death road for a long time now . no crash bariiers no protection no nothing we dont only need streetlight there but we want protection.another thing patrols should go out often during the night to check on these youngstrers not to stay in police stations sleeping. i had seen them myself and not afraid to state that.