Student to sue over slippery Kappara road
A Marsaxlokk student is suing the government and a landscape company after he destroyed his car in a crash which he says was caused by runoff water from the sprinklers at the Kappara roundabout.
Gulio Farrugia was on his way home last July 22 when his car skidded and slammed into an electricity pole, sustaining extensive damage.
It was about 4 a.m., there were few other cars on the road and he was driving his Nissan Almera at “normal speed”, Mr Farrugia claimed.
When he got to the southbound bend of the large roundabout, his car skidded. It veered in the direction of a concrete barrier, beyond which is a sheer drop of a few storeys, but Mr Farrugia managed to steer the vehicle in the opposite direction and ended up crashing head-on into an electricity pole on the strip separating the two carriageways.
In the process, he missed a couple of taxis travelling at speed in the direction of Paceville. “Luckily, my passengers and I came out of it with only slight injuries and a big shock but things could have ended up very differently”.
Yet, the damage to the car was substantial. Moreover, Mr Farrugia was not fully insured, which means he has to bear all the expenses – repairing the vehicle is estimated to cost about €5,000.
In the judicial protest filed last week by his lawyer, Owen Bonnici, Mr Farrugia insists there was no factor, other than the wet surface of the road caused by the sprinklers on the roundabout, which led him to lose control of his vehicle. There has been a wave of complaints about the risks posed by the roundabout’s sprinklers, which produce an uneven, wet and dry surface on an incline.
In fact, traffic expert Simon Micallef Stafrace had written in an article on The Times about the roundabout last year that the sprinklers could pose a danger to motorists. “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.
His comment was supported by t he experiences of other motorists who had spoken to the newspaper.
The experience of Stefan Schembri echoed that of Mr Farrugia even in the details. Mr Schembri had recounted 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 i n question is managed by the Environmental Landscapes Consortium, which Mr Farrugia is suing along with the Resources Ministry and the San Ġwann local council.
ELC general manager Ronald Cuschieri, had told The Times 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 caused 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.
When contacted about Mr Farrugia’s case, Dr Cuschieri said he preferred to make his comments in a judicial reply.
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George Casha
Jan 19th 2011, 17:34
I support you 100% Mr. Farrugia in taking this action against whoever is responsable for that part of the road. A few months ago I was appraoching the same roundabout in the early morning hours and I saw a Land Rover going round the roundabout at quite a low speed and the vehicle did a 360 degree turn as soon as it hit the wet patch of road. So yes ! there definetely is something wrong there and those responsable are only trying to shrug off their involvement as I am sure many accidents have happend in the same spot ever since the roundabout was built. It could be either some chemicals or soil that are being washed down when the watering takes place or as many people with common sense know, once ground gets moist everyday then it certainly becomes slippery, no rocket science there. I wish you good luck Mr. Farrugia and hope those responsable grow up and be man enough to have you fully compensated.
A.Taylor
Jan 19th 2011, 16:02
On the 17th of January last year I was unfortunate enough to be a victim of Malta's atrocious roads. I was a passenger in a car that was involved in a crash along Msida waterfront.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100118/local/woman-injured-in-msida-crash
Apparently there had been two other accidents on that strip of road the same evening and the road was covered in silt, water, gravel and possibly oil. We were lucky to escape with our lives. The state of the road was totally unacceptable and if there had already been two accidents that night because of it, why on earth was there not any sign on the window stating this? Secondly I was shocked to have to wait 45 minutes for an ambulance to turn up, the doctors then failed to notice a shard of glass sticking out of my back that I had only noticed after being discharged. Furthermore the police did not breathalise the driver OR check his speed. A year on and I have not wanted to continue my driving lessons due to nerves caused by the accident, I am a nervous passenger and suffer flashbacks to the incident. Surely this could have been prevented?
Andre Grech
Jan 19th 2011, 12:13
I too had destroyed my car last June 2010, it rained slightly and about 13 cars skidded and crashed all over the road next to the petrol station. The following is a video someone happened to be shooting, not a pretty sight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T90ERfp7Zf4
Andre Grech
Jan 19th 2011, 12:41
By the way the red car is not mine, I was on the other side of the petrol station
Paul Bonavia
Jan 19th 2011, 19:14
You seem to have been driving too fast for the road conditions at the time. You know roads are slippery, so you should have driven mush slower!
A. Grech
Jan 20th 2011, 16:23
as said the red car is not mine, believe me my car couldn't go fast not even when I wanted to hehe
Pule' Carmel
Jan 19th 2011, 11:40
I believe to have PALM trees in the middle of a roundabout is not so natural for a Maltese environment and to have turf around them is definetely not so complementary. Trees and turf are not to be LOOKed at a distance but should be available for people and children to walk in their shade and play on the turf. So, Trees should not be planted on roundabluts but on sidewalks and shopping centres for people to enjoy the shade while turf should be planted in playing areas so that children might roll and roll on it.
In Malta we could do with some decent masterpieces of art in the form of decent statues as in London Rome and Paris and Austria. I mean the Michaelangleo type and as Bodicea along the Thames and not the RIDICULOUS inverted LOVE or the amateurish monument on the Luqa roundabout. In Malta we have little idea of classical statutes and modern statues with a higher degree of representation and workmanship. We have not yet developed our emotions and feeling to that existing in the classical age.We are still so primitive and so childish in the way we decorate our cities and our roundabouts.
Pule' Carmel
Jan 19th 2011, 12:12
In connecting electronic devices I am used to what we call MATCHING IMPEDANCES to transfer maximum energy. In all the Roundabouts in Malta, I cannot think of one which is matched tothe environment, This one is the photograph, the palm trees are not structured to match, they are muchtoo high, muchtoo quickly around the perimeter and it is clear that there was no thought behind it all. The roundabout at Msida is also ridiculous as it offers no Majesty to the statue of the GWU, and anyway I do not like the communistic and Russian representation of Man Woman and Children depictied. The same with the Rabat/Saqqajja roundabout, the mixing of turf trees and statue is not exacly a masterpiece to behold,The woman could have been sculpted with a more classical bosom.The Church at Floriana could have been raised at least 3 metres above the granaries for, as it is way down below the granaries, it lost its Royalty , It sMagnificence, every church every monument should be looked up too!! In Malta we only raise the seats in courts or in ploitical meetings. It is about time we raised our standards inMATCHING our embelishments to the environment.( Wishful thinkiing!!!)
S. Degabriele
Jan 19th 2011, 10:14
Mhux ahjar kieku innehhu dawn ir-roundabouts kollha minn nofs????? alla jbierek il-karozzi jizdiedu kuljum, it-toroq jidjiequ u ir-roundabouts dejjem jikbru. Ahjar set lights sura ta nies li jaghti ic-cans lil kulhadd, mela roundabout daqs dinja? Kieku ara kemm ikun hemm spazju. Darba wiehed qalli ir-roundabouts li ghandkom Malta, jekk tizrahhom patata iddum sena tiekol b'xejn u ghandu ragun. Hela ta spazju fit-toroq ghal xejn. Pajjiz tal-qamel bhal Malta qatt ma rajt basta b'xi erba esperti b'composition miktuba wara isimhom imbaghad hlief paprati ma jaghmlux. Qerduh pajjiz!!!!
mario caruana
Jan 19th 2011, 09:44
@carmel Pule'
I fully concur particularly with the part of your comment that in essence states that one has to be cautious when it comes to driving in our roads.
However in my opinion, we need to exercise attention not just as a matter of having some roads slippery and/or lack certain safety standards. We have to realize that our country is small and that our roads do not stretch for long distances.
Most of the serious and fatal accidents normally occur in roads that are identified as being up to the required standards. The most obvious reason for this is that people tend to abuse and overspeed without reflecting on the consequencies of their actions. Prevention is better than cure.
mario caruana
Jan 19th 2011, 08:33
@Marco Cremona
1. 'Why on earth do we need turf to embellish our roundabouts?'
The answer to your rhetoric question is contained within your question: To embellish our roundabouts. The photo of the said roundabout says it all. Embellishing our country is not waste of money. Everyone tries to make his home look better even if this means that it has to be done at an expense.
2. Embellishment creates a sense of harmony in our environment and contributes subtly to the well being of a healthy and civil society. Therefore, this should not be sacrificed for just financial considerations. You cannot embellish a place if you do not give a touch of colour to it and definetely as the photo depicts it surely gives more than a touch of colour.
3. It is much better that the Government embarks on a national plan to anlayse how rainwater could be saved prior going down to the sea.
kcassar
Jan 19th 2011, 07:58
If u were a Spanish tourist which encountered something on the bus while your 7 day stay in Malta you will be fully reimbursed!!!! but since you have been living for 22 years and you encounter things like these frequently I am sorry but you do not Qualify for reimbursement! !!!
Simon Vassallo
Jan 19th 2011, 12:07
If you have been living here for 22 years and still you have not learned that you should go very slowly while driving around a wet roundabout in Malta . . . . then my friend .... NO - YOU SHOULD NEVER QUALIFY FOR A REIMBURSEMENT .
Marco Cremona
Jan 19th 2011, 00:29
Why on earth do we need turf to embellish roundabouts anyway? This is the country that has the lowest amount of water available per capita in the world and yet we pay a private consortium to WASTE water by growing turf!! And now it seems that this extravagance is also a traffic hazard.
The 2010 Climate Change Adaptation Report sets the right tone for the extravagant use of water for landscaping purposes especially when the water is coming from an over-exploiuted resource e.g. groundwater and I quote Measure 36 :
"The Climate Change Committee for Adaptation recommends that the Government should
introduce legal instruments to ban groundwater use for landscaping and introduce a tough
financial penalty regime to discourage misuse of a scarce and valuable resource. Government should immediately ensure that its own landscaping and afforestation projects so not use groundwater, so as to set the example."
Government should immediately stop the ELC from growing and irrigating turf and other exotic plants that are not suited for our arid climate.
M Psaila
Jan 19th 2011, 09:34
I don't know if you are young enough to remember the roundabouts before they were embellished. They were more like dustbowls with maybe some rubbish thrown in for colour. It's true that we have a problem with water but the solution is to save more of it for use and not stop doing this and that.
Simon Vassallo
Jan 18th 2011, 21:29
If the majority of cars passing from there were all the time skidding, then there would be something wrong with the road, and maybe it would be the case to sue the Government. BUT ..... if only ONE CAR from every say, 10,000 cars that pass from exactly the same spot skidded, then my friends ..... you'll have to admit that all fingers should point at that particular car and its driver, and at nothing and nobody else! This is simple logic, and whoever tries to argue against this, is fooling himself and everyone else. Peace !
Pule' Carmel
Jan 18th 2011, 20:04
Does "Look before you leap" also apply to the style of driving as " Drive according to the conditions of/on the road." If we know that the roads on Malta are bad, then should we not adjust our driving accordingly , for our own sake? Anthing wrong with my logic? Then when the roads are better then we would adjust our driving for better roads!
I see it a little silly to drive as if you are on a good road, when you are not, and then, if you have an accident, blame the road!
The thing to do is to keep continuously harping at the authorities to correct the road conditions. Meanwhile drive according to the present roads and when the roads are better , one can adjust to better roads. Anything else is illogical to me. Very often in these comments I advised that the Maltese roads, as they are , speeds between 30 to 40 kilometers are adequate, any higher is dangerous. It is not use wishing to get away with driving faster on the present roads, and if you do, blame yourself.
Alexander Farrugia
Jan 18th 2011, 19:43
The national speed limit is 80km/hr, granted, but, when approaching a roundabout, you should always slow down to, ideally, around 25 to 30km/hr. Surely you don't go around a roundabout at 80km/hr, not even 50km/hr... not even on an empty road.
Oh the other hand, Another point people seem to be overlooking is why both persons mentioned here had the accident at 4am. Maybe it's because the sprinklers are on at that time? It's all too easy to say "I have never skidded there" if you have never approached the road with the sprinklers on.
Finally, it's only relatively recently that new motorists have gone through a rather difficult test to get their licence. These new motorists, hopefully, know how to drive and know all the road rules. Equally hopefully, the other motorists who took the old, much easier, licence test do know all the rules and do know how to drive as well.
gaffarena joseph
Jan 18th 2011, 18:20
Wish you luck my friend.
Kieron O'connor
Jan 18th 2011, 14:11
You are all conveniently overlooking the real problem because you see it every day and have become accustomed to it.
Speeding and failure to obey the rules of the road is the problem in Malta, and god knows how many tests you have to do to get a licence in Malta, so every one knows the rules of the road, but make a concious decision to ignore them and put your and everyone elses lives at risk.
The speed limit on the main roads approaching are low, so you should already be going slow, before slowing down even further getting ready to yield the right away at the round about.
I have travelled that roundabout many times, and others in Malta and what happens is people charge onto the round about and people who are on the round about end up having to yield to those charging on in order to avoid a collision.
The education is there, the people know the rules, and the people chose to ignore them..whats the sollution? flyover? lights?
Or keep on putting your head in the sand and blaim the surface and water? How does the rest of the world manage and Malta can't?
Henry Tozer
Jan 18th 2011, 12:54
@SZammit
"I find the "also slippery when it rains" argument very hard to beat. The distance travelled while "skidding" is also considerable, considering one has to stop - which i myself fail to do most of the time - at a roundabout even though there is no traffic. Good Luck Mr. Farrugia! The case will be an interesting one."
One is not required to stop at a roundabout, merely give way.
C Magri
Jan 18th 2011, 12:20
Water on the road should not be a problem for a car. The problem is that the quality of practically every road surface in Malta is poor. The surface of a highway should offer it's own resistance / grip, as well as the tread on the tyre. The roads in Malta, apart from being as flat as a mirror are subject to a constant distribution of engine oil and fumes from poorly maintained vehicles, especially buses. This combination when mixed with rain or in this case a hose, can be lethal.
R. Azzopardi
Jan 18th 2011, 12:11
I urge this student to go for it. In 2001 I fell into a large ditch, vehicle and all in Siggiewi. I sued the council for damages and, 4 years later was re-imbursed half the amount. I wasn't totally happy but it surely was better than nothing. (ditch is still there by the way!)
J Mallia
Jan 18th 2011, 11:03
I've been driving past that roundabout and commented to my wife that this water flowing down from the roundabout is dangerous. The greatest danger is that you find it when you least expect it (I was driving down from Kappara to the direct of the University).
Mr. Cuschieri from ELC is wrong to say that the road conditions are similar to a rainy day just because of the above. However, I ask him whether the roundabout soil is equipped with humidity sensors that switch off the water supply when a certain humidity is reached in the soil. If water is flowing down the roundabout that must mean that the soil had long been saturated and so it definitely didn't need that extra water. I also noticed that the roundabout sprinklers are also switched on hours after a good downpour. That's unnecessary, a waste and, in this case, a danger too.
Dr Francis Saliba
Jan 18th 2011, 09:51
@ J Caruana
The mechanics of the skid as suggested by you do not agree with the skid as described – the car would have skidded towards the roundabout, not away from it. The left hand tyres would have retained their grip on the dry surface whilst the right hand tyres would have lost grip on the wet surface due to aquaplaning. The resulting imbalance of forces would have swerved the front of the car towards the driver’s right into the roundabout.
Dr Francis Saliba
Jan 18th 2011, 09:36
@ J Caruana
The mechanics of the skid as described by you do not agree with the skid as described – the car would have skidded towards the roundabout, not away from it. The left hand tyres would have retained their grip on the dry surface whilst the right hand tyres would have lost grip on the wet surface due to aquaplaning. The resulting imbalance of forces would have swerved the front of the car towards the driver’s right into the roundabout.
Dr Francis Saliba
Jan 18th 2011, 06:33
@Mark Seychell.
This roundabout has an unfavourable gradient at the exit towards Gzira. Serious accidents are not much more frequent only because the traffic congestion throughout most of the day compels drivers to slow down to a crawl and even to stop intermittently. This compulsory speed reduction is absent at 4.00 a.m for tired(?) youths proceeding from Paceville in the direction of the university. The danger is always there independently of any sprinkler wetness of the road surface. Safety lies in reducing speed according to the reduced night visibility and the adverse gradient. Recognizing that simple fact does not have to wait until a university student acquires a doctorate and it may well save him from hospitalization or a mortuary slab. Plain common sense should suffice.
Steve Cassar
Jan 17th 2011, 23:56
When skidding most people react by pressing the brake pedal harder, all the way to the floor. This is an instinctive reaction because you are trying to stop the car. The trick is to release the brakes as this will unlock the wheels and you will regain control. A pumping action of the brakes is the correct procedure. The same applies when driving in snow and icy conditions.
Fred Medhurst
Jan 18th 2011, 10:53
@Steve Cassar I have to dispute your method of avoiding the incident. Most modern cars these days are fitted with ABS and the correct use is to press hard on the brake pedal and keep it pressed. The ABS creates a cadence braking effect allowing the driver to steer (hopefully) around the object. The problem arises when the driver does not have faith in the computerised system and decides, as suggested by you, to release the brake pedal. By this time all but the most experienced of drivers would have time to cadence brake for themself thus an out of control vehicle.
€5000 of damage at a normal speed? It must be an expensive car to sustain that kind of damage at 50kph in which case perhaps 3 party fire and theft isn't an apt policy. The driver attempted to skimp on the insurance then complains that an accident occurs (an accident !! the reason we buy insurance?)
Maltese people were up in arms over a free holiday to a Spanish lady abused by a bus driver. I can only imagine what it will be like once everyone jumps onto the litigation bangwagon suing for everything they can.
Kcassar
Jan 17th 2011, 23:45
Its useless you are trying to sue! i ran into a pothole which i couldnt have avoid and i know that there are other people who went through it at triq ic cawsli zabbar(the one which has all the time been disastrous) and i ruined a tire,alloy wheel and even a shock strut.i tried to claim it through my Local council and even took photos of it and they pointed their finger to the govt,they said they arent in charge.i even didnt manage to win it by the ombudsmen!so no time wasting man! You never get your right in this country!!!!
S Zammit
Jan 17th 2011, 23:32
I find the "also slippery when it rains" argument very hard to beat. The distance travelled while "skidding" is also considerable, considering one has to stop - which i myself fail to do most of the time - at a roundabout even though there is no traffic. Good Luck Mr. Farrugia! The case will be an interesting one.
Caruana.J
Jan 17th 2011, 23:20
Finally a breath of fresh air...
Unfortunately this has been going on for at least 2 years and it had to be a simple student to take action. Whilst in the mean time ,lots of people risked being seriously hurt.
This is a very dangerous situation and comparing water on a dry road to when it rains is an insult to intelligence. As it is the tyres face an imbalance since 2 tyres are wet and 2 are dry hence in a curve one side grips and the other does not ,resulting in loss of control.
Please I urge all the readers to think.. travel.. and come to conclusions.,
I have travelled nearly all around Europe and have never seen water going down round abouts just because there is turf on it. You go under tunnels meters under sea level but everything is nice and dry and here you drive under a tunnel in a sunny day and its dripping. These statements aimed at covering mechanical or technical incompetence are simply childish.
A. Borg
Jan 17th 2011, 19:30
Probbabli tkun pensjonant meta tinqata l-kawza u probabli sa dak iz-zmien il-karrozzi jkunu jtiru!
Katya Cassola
Jan 17th 2011, 20:18
LOL@ a borg.....veru ta....jew jilhaq jinsa li fetah kawza!!!
Steve Sant
Jan 17th 2011, 18:18
What for ? Where you not insured. Let the insurance company do the dirty work, we pay these insurance companies enough, and now you want to do their work. Oh, to add insult to injury, you might find that your insurance company will take the credit, and all Insurances on the Island will start trebling their fees because of your action. Look what happened in the UK and USA. Once again, let the Insurance do the work.
Paul Borg
Jan 17th 2011, 20:39
Mr. Sant, 75 percent of motorists are insured on 3rd party F & T. meaning someone' else's insurance has to make good. That area has become a black spot.
Dr Francis Saliba
Jan 17th 2011, 17:59
@D A Agius You do not need a doctorate to understand that I did not say anywhere that this skidding accident occurred during a downpour of rain - a knowledge of elementary English would be ample. Please translate your third paragraph into comprehensible English.
mario P Sciberras
Jan 17th 2011, 17:55
Maybe somebody should look at the quality of tyres being sold.Malta Standards Authority please note. I bought new tyres and going down the mentioned hill I skidded badly. Luckily I managed to control the car in the last minute. I had the tyres changed and no problems of skidding occured again.
R. Dowling
Jan 17th 2011, 17:53
Will the Government solve this problem once and for all or just put more speed cameras set at 5km/h and loads of speed bumps.
Mark Formosa
Jan 17th 2011, 17:42
What does this guy do when maybe it rains? He will sue the weather forecast department?
E.Hughes
Jan 17th 2011, 16:41
well it's the same as usual. how come that someone has to get hurt or go through an ordeal in order for problems to be recognized and dealt with? Everyone know’s that the roads have been a problem in Malta for years and yet again little is done. Even the new roads that are being built are not as they should be in my opinion. Why is the tarmac of the new roads being built are slippery and already considered hazardous! The tarmac we are using tends to flatten out after a a few months of being layed. Can someone explain this to me?
Martin Pace
Jan 17th 2011, 15:06
We don’t need a mirage in the middle of a very busy road, a flyover is the least expensive for drivers, thus lest in vain consumption of fuel and hopefully save time to go from A to B. But maybe somewhere, someone is benefitting from this mirage. Where are our road engineers, do we have them in Malta....
J. Debono
Jan 17th 2011, 13:55
The student is perfectly right.
This roundabout is a hazard and very slippery.
I skidded myself, however I was driving slowly and managed to stop, without any accident.
Since then I drive very slowly when approaching this road.
What I find very difficult to believe is that this person sustained 5,000Euro of damages, whilst at the same time claiming he was driving at normal speed (i.e. less than 50km/hour in an urban area.)
Joe Demanuele
Jan 17th 2011, 13:52
Can we know why TM has not issued car number plates and road licenses for cars that have been scrapped under the Government scrapping scheme notwithstanding that all paperwork has been at TM for more than a month and scrapping has been approved? Why are other vehicle not bought on the scrapping scheme being issued with their number plates and road license without any problems? WE NEED ANSWERS AND WE NEED THEM NOW TM.
Kleaven Maniscalco
Jan 17th 2011, 13:19
I skidded in the same spot due to the water from the sprinklers. I was moving really slowly, in fact my car didn't suffer much damage when it hit the pavement opposite, but it still cost me something like 400 euro to fix my car. Apart from being slippery the road is designed incorrectly there, my car actually accelerated as it skidded and I could do nothing. Good Luck.
patrick zammit
Jan 17th 2011, 12:56
A good number of roads are to say the least, uneven with bumps and potholes galore. Having driven a number of cars, including new ones, it is plain to see that even on roads that appear smooth, one must be very careful as car control is very limited, becoming disastrous if there is dew or even a curve.
I have also driven hired cars in the UK where the opposite is the norm!
K. Rizzo
Jan 17th 2011, 12:52
Finally someone takes the bull by the horns on this issue! Good luck with it and once your at it also include the spillage that always occurs around the exits from the valley road bridge...there too water leaks at the most critical spots, that is where there is the bend after the bridge towards university, a point which features a road with the camber the opposite of what it should!
R Borg
Jan 17th 2011, 12:09
Our roads are a disgrace to all of Europe.
H.Calleja
Jan 17th 2011, 12:31
I ask you all: How many cars passed the same roundabout and did not skid? Was it reckless driving at that hour that was the real cause of the accident?
ivan farrugia
Jan 17th 2011, 22:20
Nobody here is talking about the quality of the tyres..I live abroad and its not only important to change from summer tyres to winter but its also the law
Dr Francis Saliba
Jan 17th 2011, 11:53
Which is the proper authority to sue when a student driving his car at the unearthly hour of 4.00 am skids and wrecks his car whilst negotianing a round about betwee the university and Paceville after a downpour? Is it the Almighty, his delegate on earth or those who prayed for rain?
C. Borg
Jan 17th 2011, 13:02
Completely wrong Dr. Saliba, if you are driving in a downpour you drive much slower and paying attention because of the slippery road. In a dry road situation, you never expect to find a stream of muddy water going round a roundabout. And what's the time (4.00 am) go to do with it. Is there a curfew that everybody should be home by then!!!!!!
Traskurajni par excellence by the authorities, because this has been happening for ages.
D. A . Agius
Jan 17th 2011, 13:07
Probably you're the authority to sue, or actually, your mentality that if a student is out late he's not able to drive!
Maybe he was just going early to the university to do some fitness training before studies and lectures, what do you know?
Don't assume, maybe you know how to break its spelling and that's what you're looking like!
D. A . Agius
Jan 17th 2011, 13:11
And if you know how t read, it was not a downpour but water sprinkled from the irrigation system in this roundabout.
You don't need to have a doctorate to understand the difference!
Mark Seychell
Jan 17th 2011, 13:35
Doctor Saliba,
The prefix in your name does not portray any encouraging intelligence in the slightest
RMIFSUD
Jan 17th 2011, 11:36
Rain, sprinklers, mud etc etc. I strongly believe the complete infrastructure is a mess. No sprinkled water should be allowed to spill in the streets. Whatever the speed, all roads have become too dangerous to drive, especially when wet! must be the wrong choice of tarmac! Has anyone noticed regional road has been recently planted again after the heavy rainfall? Now when it rains the water has to go somewhere, correct? notice at the end of the planter there is no gutter to collect the water (including mud). So all the mud and water finishes down the road towards Gzira. Now how can you expect us drivers to use the brakes (on mud) efficiently, even at slow speeds? roads and infrastructure are to blame. conditions of wheels and tires are important but the Authority needs to assume full responsibility for providing safe roads!
Noel Zarb
Jan 17th 2011, 11:16
Same thing happened to me twice....Just after the Naxxar Supermarket at the roundabout before the turning to take the hill down to Iklin (where the road was wet for some apparent reason...and it was not raining...and my speed was 20-30) and next to the Stadium in Gzira, when it was drizzling and my speed was the same again....20-30...my tyres were perfectly fine as they were brand new...my brakes as well....its just that the road was slippery even for such a low speed....
Someone should investigate that water coming out of one of those villas apart from the sprinklers which most of the time sprinkle onto the road, as is the case on the road leading to the tunnels which lead to Qormi/Marsa.....we know there is a slippery-road sign...but don't make it worse by pointing the sprinklers onto the road!!!!
l.ellul
Jan 17th 2011, 11:13
Go for it Mr.Farrugia. That particular stretch of road is a disgrace, even when dry, let alone wet. Let's hope you win the case and this could be the start of a new era of people vs the govt. like in most of the EU states.
G.mercieca
Jan 17th 2011, 11:12
I think that everyone who uses this junction should not stay arguing here about that road but complain and sue the authority with this person so the shout will be bigger than 1 person suing the authority! In this country we need to start doing like others do, which is everybody in 1 group and protest for the large number of horrible things we have, including roads which we use everyday and they are not up to standard! is this an EU 2011 country or what!?
Joseph Sammut
Jan 17th 2011, 10:32
This piece of road is slippery when dry, let alone in the wet. And why are we blaming only the sprinkler system; what about the water run off coming from one of the villas on the left going up towards St. Andrews. This has been going on for ages: is someone discharging pool water? Every morning, there is a traffic policemen "directing" traffic: would it be in his competence to report this/investigate or is traffic his only concern?
C Spiteri
Jan 17th 2011, 11:36
I perfectly agreee. Irrespective of the speed one is driving, the water coming out from the passage between the nearby villas, and the sprinklers in the roundabout make the stretch of road really slippery. The ELC have recently tried to solve this dangerous spot but the problem still persists.
Another dangerous zone is that stretch of road before entering the University tunnels where there are shrubs planted on the left of the northbound road just after passing St Phillips Hospital. The sprinklers spray water on the inner lane making the road really slippery.
P McAlister
Jan 17th 2011, 10:23
I also had an accident on this round about just before new years, I got my car back 524 euros poorer due to the slippery road surface on this roundabout. The government should re-do the tarmac with grooving in it as is found on the hill leading down from Naxxar to Salini, this would allow for much more grip and probably prevent 50%+ of accident on that round about
George Swindells
Jan 17th 2011, 10:17
There is a requirement in the highway code (ever heard of this?) that require all drivers at ALL time to drive with due care and attention. That means the driver is RESPONSIBLE for the way in which he and his vehicle travel over the roads. When there is a hazard of any kind SLOW DOWN. Nobody else is responsible. I wonder what a 'Normal' speed is at 4 in the morning?
isabelle luca borg
Jan 17th 2011, 11:00
excuse me, but who are you to judge?!?!
Of course us youths have heard about the highway code, most of us spend almost 2 years and 2000 euro (if not more) to learn it.
A month ago I was driving in Marsa when the same thing happened - the motorcyclye in front of me skidded, the guy fell on the floor, I pressed my breaks and found NOTHING! my car was out of control and the only choice I had was to slam into the pavement and ruin my wheel, or squash the poor guy.
We were in slow moving traffic and our speeds were of not more than 30 km per hr.
Is that not reasonable enough for you?
How can you even say that Mr.Farrugia was travelling at a high speed?
I trust that Mr.Farrugia is an honest, genuine driver and I would assume, that unless he has money to throw away (which from the article, doesn't look like it) he wouldn't have gone through all the expenses and hassle of the courts and such if he didn't have a good and solid argument.
he w
Christian Sciberras
Jan 17th 2011, 10:15
I think it would be wise if instead the Government was made to fix existing issues, rather than what seems to be, a rather new road. Especially considering that (in what I'm seeing) there's quite some area where one can ride through.
Saviour Sam Agius
Jan 17th 2011, 10:13
How about a gutter all around the roundabout covered by a grate? Is this really rocket science?
D. A . Agius
Jan 17th 2011, 13:08
the water is sprayed or sent out in mid air due to wind. it's not a simplye gutter issue.
C.Zammit
Jan 17th 2011, 10:00
At What speed did he go around the roundabout 30-40-50-80? If he went around the speed of 30-45 he would not have crashed or had such an impact. He will lose this one as for sure he was over the speed limit. Don't tell me the road was slippery! I pass from that road every day as it is very close to my home. In 9yrs of driving I never crashed there or any other place in this island thank God. The only accident I had was when a typical maltese road rambo similar to this one in this story slammed into me from behind as I was slowing down when approaching a zebra crossing! This is a lost case for the youth. 99% he was over the speed limit and when that happens and you crash the insurance does not give you anything as they do not cover Rambo style driving. As he got nothing out of the insurance he is trying to sue the goverment. I think it's about time that the goverment put a speed camera in every street or more police. Any street cowboy/Rambo should be fined over 100euro and if they do not learn Jail!
R. Borg
Jan 17th 2011, 09:53
Good luck Gulio!
May I ask who are the "experts" who decide on what should be done in our roads (lane design, round-abouts with mountain-like soil and bushes/trees to block vision, sleeping policemen, etc...) ??
If only we could all do like Gulio and sue these so-called "experts"..... but then again we go into other problems, such as inefficiencies in our law courts...
Cynthia Bonnici
Jan 17th 2011, 13:47
Experts R. Borg? I say IDIOTS with capital letters. They have narrowed the roads to make them single lane which frustrates people held up behind big vehicles in summer heat while having a Jumbo landing strip in the middle. There are countless examples but if one goes to Paola Valletta road which is not one way has been narrowed to two lanes by constructing a very wide pavement apart from vehicle parking. This is a disgrace which should be removed. Why should there be some 5 metre or more wide pavement in an arterial road? This is the madness that IDIOTS at TM are perpetrating on the Maltese people.
M.Spiteri
Jan 17th 2011, 09:50
Sorry for your accident mate, but when it rains and we skid, whom should we sue? Had you checked properly tyres lately....maybe they're bald as an eagle and so have no grip whatsoever.
M.Bezzina
Jan 17th 2011, 10:30
4yr info I had the opportunity to have a ride in UK and USA on a high speed lane in a murky weather!!!The traffic was easy going like a normal day!!I haven't seen a car crash.
Robert Spiteri
Jan 17th 2011, 10:37
M. Spiteri,
When it rains it is an act of God but you could still sue the Government if the road does not have enough grip or its camber is in the wrong direction (as are many roads in Malta).
When you are travelling on a dry road and come onto a wet surface you will certainly be faced with more challenging conditions.
If one wheel is on a dry surface and the other on dry your car will oversteer.
So when it rains it is safer than if the road surface is partially wet at certain points.
Claire Busuttil
Jan 17th 2011, 09:45
I think its about time we all start doing like this. Our roads are a disgrace, huge patholes...-recently I was lucky, but really risked to loose control of my car, in msida, very close to the headoffice of the wardens, due to an enormous pathole, just at the begining of a road.
It is really unfair for people in Malta, who pay taxes....but than have this situation on the roads....well done to this young guy.
M. Mamo
Jan 17th 2011, 09:44
he was driving at normal speed? "Normal speed for him is 40 km/hr or more? Just saying this because I see a lot of focus in his words on his saying that it was 4 a.m in a deserted street. I don't think the car was driving at 60 km/hr and he "managed to steer the vehicle in the opposite direction and ended up crashing head-on into an electricity pole on the strip separating the two carriageways. In the process, he missed a couple of taxis travelling at speed "
Mark Farrugia
Jan 17th 2011, 16:50
Mr/Ms Mamo. I would like to point out that this is a main thoroughfare and unless shown otherwise, the national speed limit of 80kph applies. I cannot remember correctly if any speed limit is applied from the road coming from PV however I am definitely sure that the road coming from Birkirkara etc has no speed limitations thus it is at 80kph. Reason dictates that at least at the last stretch of the downhill road leading onto the roundabout should be the same. Under normal circumstances this should be fine. @ AAzzopardi: When it rains people generally drive at lower speeds therefore 'normal' in wet conditions is slower than 'normal' in dry conditions. Only madmen drive at high speeds when it rains. However in this case it wasn't raining, the driver found himself suddenly into a wet patch of road that was enough to make him lose control of the vehicle.
Ruben Hili
Jan 19th 2011, 13:45
@Mark Farrugia
Do you usually drive and turn a round about at 80km??? Come this is just a case of irrisponisble driving. A good driver must forecast the danger zone of our roads. Everyone knows that there can be water on that part of the road .... this is not the first time that there is water over there ...so the only one to blame is the careless driver. Let say that there was no water ...but there was an oil spil or someone crossing from there.....then whom are you going to blame......Drive slowly mate!!!!
M Psaila
Jan 17th 2011, 09:39
When it rains, we'll sue God.
AAzzopardi
Jan 17th 2011, 09:38
First of all I sympathise with Mr Farrugia for his mishap and those who had traffic accidents.
However I must say that I don't think a car would skid, if it's driven at a decent speed. Can you imagine how many cars driven at "normal speed" would be extensively damaged in october it rains for various days.
Let's be realistic. Unless there was diesel on the road, such skidding on water would only be caused by excessiv speeding.
Rita Spiteri
Jan 17th 2011, 09:36
“Whatever the case, the volume of water involved does not make the road more slippery than when it rains,” he insisted.
Perhaps not perhaps yes, but they are an added hazard especially when it is not raining and people come suddenly on a slippery road when they do not expect it to be so because it is not raining. This is not the first time that this has happened apart from the water spraying on cars windscreens especially when it is windy. Same thing happens in Blata l-Bajda and elsewhere. They should use their workers to water strips and not sprinklers. I hope that Gulio Farrugia wins his case and gets compensated for his car damages and all expenses so that these careless companies and Local Councils may perhaps learn a lesson. I also hope that any compensation will not come from the Council's funds but personally by the Counselors who contracted the company.
Alan Grech
Jan 17th 2011, 09:36
Gulio, I feel your pain because I had crashed my car due to those sprinklers as well. It was 1am and to add insult to injury, the towing company left me there waiting for 3 hours. I was actually moving quite slowly but those sprinklers make the road really slippery. I hope you're successful in your lawsuit! Good luck!
C. Caruana
Jan 17th 2011, 09:34
I skidded there too. Go for it!
I M Dingli
Jan 17th 2011, 09:31
I bet every driver in Malta had a close call in that particular stretch of road. Good luck....i'm sure you'll need a lot of it in your venture.
S.Azzopardi
Jan 17th 2011, 09:27
Mr Gulio Farrugia ,sorry for your accident , i had the misfortune to skid my motorcycle there too . Well done for you suing the government , that the way to go ,,,wish you luck
jesmond c
Jan 17th 2011, 09:47
i pass from that road 2 x a day and it's very slippery and i had two similar accident, to make the roundabout nicer all the water from the sprinklers going in the streets, and it's not the only place, water mixed with diesel, oil good coctail for an accident, and i would like to mention something alse the new tv boards at marsa all that light in the evening to make advertisments, who's responsible for all this.
Chris Spiteri
Jan 17th 2011, 10:05
Same happened to me in Blata il-Bajda. While I was going to Marsa direction, when I turned that little curve before the Bus Stop the rear part of my car slipped. Since I was going with an average speed I managed to control my vechile.
D.Galea
Jan 17th 2011, 22:38
Why don't you contact him and offer yourself as a witness instead of just wishing him luck and living him alone to deal with it? This is what people in more "advanced" societies do.