The way towards improved road safety
There is both good and bad news about safety on our roads. Figures just released in Brussels show that the number of road fatalities dropped by six per cent (down from 41 to 36 per million) in the period 2001-2010. Still, when compared to the situation in other EU member states, Malta does not perform too well. In fact, this was the second lowest decrease in road deaths after Romania, where fatalities went down by three per cent.
Earlier this year, we learnt that, in 2010, the number of recorded accidents thankfully dropped by 7.7 per cent over 2009. However, in the same period there were 1,079 persons (614 males and 465 females) who were injured in traffic accidents. Of these, 15 cases (10 males and five females) proved fatal.
The bottom line is we need to continue to consider traffic safety, in all its dimensions, as a national concern.
The coming into force of new legislation aimed at countering irregular or irresponsible driving, hand in hand with police action, especially on occasions when the risk of, for instance, drink-driving is higher, surely contribute to improve the situation. Nonetheless, rules and clampdowns alone are not enough. Better education, for example, remains paramount. Perhaps the time has come for schools, especially those catering for teenagers, to introduce new well-planned driver education programmes. There are also other areas that deserve to be revisited according to experience. One of them is traffic calming measures, aimed at making roads and streets safer.
Definitions of traffic calming vary. Yet, they all share the aim of reducing vehicle speeds, improving safety and enhancing quality of life. Some include what are known as the three Es: traffic education, enforcement and engineering. Most definitions focus on engineering measures to change driver behaviour and some at making drivers slow down.
Two groups of traffic calming measures are those addressing volume and speed. Volume control measures are primarily used to deal with traffic problems by blocking certain movements, thereby diverting traffic to streets better able to handle it. Speeding problems can be addressed by changing vertical/horizontal alignment or narrowing the road.
There have been considerable improvements in traffic control initiatives. The fixed speed cameras concept seems to have helped a lot to keep over-speeding on major roads in check. Traffic lights too have their strong positive effect when installed at the right place and have the right timing.
The same could be said for roundabouts, aiming at regulating better uncontrolled intersections, particularly where right-of-way may be uncertain. They also help cut vehicle speeds and reduce collision points and severity when accidents occur.
There are also the benefits of central reservations, generally strips located in the middle of roads and used to separate lanes to provide a much appreciated visual cue of change in roadway environment, as well as speed bumps that are meant to make motorists slow down at local access streets.
All the measures that are in place in this regard help to keep speeds down and, therefore, avoid accidents and tragedies. Even so, the time is always ripe to study where adjustments and improvements are warranted in the hope of ensuring safer roads. Such a study could also help to establish goals, objectives, policies and criteria for an improved traffic calming programme that will provide a variety of potential alternatives to creatively solve problems.
Yet, whatever rules the traffic authorities may devise these would be useless unless there is effective enforcement. Discipline is a must.
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a borg
Jul 9th 2011, 14:50
One reason that road accidents have decreased in the EU, Malta, and even in the US was the increase in fuel prices; less miles driven (due to the increased prices) hence less accidents.
Ramon Casha
Jul 8th 2011, 10:45
Many so-called traffic calming measures do not increase safety, and sometimes actually make things worse. Both speed cameras and speed bumps only make cars slow down for a short while and immediately pick up speed afterwards, sometimes ending up going faster than they were originally. With some speed bumps you actually have to speed up to minimise the jolt you're given, since a car's suspension is not effective at a slow speed.
Enforcement is important of course, but before we can approach enforcement, something needs to be done about the haphazard manner in which road signs and speed limits are put up. Some local councils have even come up with their own special road signs that are not found in any highway code. It seems that every stretch of road has its own personalised speed limit, and some are entirely absurd, like the 5km/h speed limit near Naxxar's church.
There should be two speed limits - for built-up and non-built-up areas. Any exceptions to this would be granted on a case-by-case basis and only if there is a really good reason for it, like certain very narrow roads in old village cores.
Traffic signs should be restricted to those found in the highway code. Any new symbols need to be considered carefully and, if approved, should be publicised before being used. And no essays please. Anything that takes longer than one second to read is taking the driver's attention away from the road.
Road surfaces and general road quality must also be taken into consideration. Many accidents are caused because our roads provide no grip. It's about time that the political parties placed our road network as an important point in their electoral manifestos.
Finally, how about an educational campaign for other users of the road? Pedestrians, cyclists, horse afficionados. How many times has a pedestrian stepped off the pavement onto the road before checking whether any traffic is approaching? How many cyclists ride against no-entry signs thinking that these are only there for cars? How many times have we seen someone crossing the road at its widest point, or across a complex intersection of roads? Perhaps with a bit more awareness, some problems can be avoided.
James Wightman
Jul 9th 2011, 10:47
Ramon Naxxar's 5kph limit is because its a pedestrian zone. Much like Bisazza Street was for bicycles, but it seems its Ok to drive cars across pedestrian zones no bicycles so i'd keep quite about that or 'they' whoever they are will ban cars too!
I'm not saying its right, but the reason cyclists go wrong way up a one way street (OWS) is less because they think it doesn't apply to them and more to do with planners failing to think about how cyclists need to move about village cores. I know of many short cuts that drivers nip up a OWS wrong way too. Cyclists tend to cut across village cores it's their effort providing the oouumph after all not a right foot. Planners often fail to think about that and if they get it so wrong for even this most basic form of transport - they REALLY haven't a cats hope in hell of catering properly for poor motorists!
I tend to walk my bike up OWS wrong way (as I'm then a pedestrian) but thats complicated by the fact that i'm then double the width and often the pavement isn't wide enough for me and my bike, even if there is one. Riding slowly (trickling) up a OWS wrong way at a slow walking speed is actually easier for a motorist to pass, esp if said cyclist stops to let him/her do so - given that the motorist has right of way anyway.
I think over crowding is causing a lot of our traffic problems - so maybe we need to start thinking outside the box.
Alfred Grech
Jul 8th 2011, 09:09
"Speeding problems can be addressed by changing vertical/horizontal alignment or narrowing the road." I disagree with the narrowing of the roads. This will invite head on collisions when someone tries to pass a slow moving vehicle.
One solution is to get the Wardens off their parking ticketing business and get them to keep an eye for dangerous drivers. Many accidents occur because of excessive speeding that is rampant around Malta.
Educating the young drivers will help.
Mr Graham Holme
Jul 8th 2011, 08:42
Its the Maltese drivers mentality that needs to be addressed.Never have I seen such impatient,ill mannered,selfish driving,than can be seen every day on the roads of Malta
For example,yesterday a young lady,was stationary indicating right waiting to occupy a parking space that another car was vacating,a matter of around 30 seconds to complete the maneuver.The driver of the car behind could see what was going on,but because he had to wait also,started blasting his horn,jumped out of his car and began screaming obscenities at the hapless young girl.Aprox 30 seconds later he was on his way,with a screech of tyres,shouting and screaming through his open car window
Patience is a virtue,something a lot of Maltese drivers do not comprehend