Pedestrian, 82, hit by car driven by driver, 80

Mark Said

Mar 27th 2012, 18:46

This is not a case about being too old to drive, but simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. If you are going to ban a cautious driver from having his licence simply because he was unlucky enough to be driving whilst a person crossed when the lights were green, then we may as well ban everyone.

When an 18 year old crashes at 4am on a Friday night, we all assume it was a case of drunk driving, but how many of us are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt? Same with this man, who was driving within the speed limit without running any red lights!

One may argue that he is too old to drive just as one may argue that the woman was too old to realise the lights had changed, or that people were shouting out for her not to cross. Either way, we should not judge.

Sue Gambin

Mar 26th 2012, 22:24

Why blame the driver if you don't know the facts? A woman is in hospital fighting for her life and a man is in shock trying to come to terms with what happened. Sure it's easy to point fingers, when it's other people that are suffering.

May God be with both of them and their families during this difficult time.

Paul Caruana

Mar 26th 2012, 21:55

In the near future, I believe that technology will provide the answer. Already there are new cars being designed that can sense that something is in their path, and consequently brake the car automatically. Senior citizens should, in the near future, be granted an extension of their driving license on the clear condition that they are only allowed to drive cars with certain in built safety mechanisms as described above.

Ivan Visanich

Mar 26th 2012, 21:51

Up till now there are just 27 comments,if the driver was 18 rather then 80 we would have probably seen 270 comments .. Enough said.

Fleur Spiteri

Mar 26th 2012, 21:09

Kurt Mifsud's comments seem to be coming from a teenager especially when referring to people in their 50's as elderly ! If you were updated enough, you would know that people of a certain age have to go through a yearly test before obtaining an updated licence ! But wait.........you're smart enough already and don't need me to point this out, surely !!

G G Debono

Mar 26th 2012, 21:03

To………………………….Paulo Oliveira And others……


RE “ Re In the UK, the age by law for renewing your drving license is 70”
Yes true But it does NOT need a test as Kurt Mifsud is suggesting. The only condition for renewal is that the applicant was not 't disqualified from driving for any reason, wasn’t refused a licence for medical reasons and did not fail to comply with medical treatment for any condition which might impair driving. - - - - the renewal is made free, unlike Malta where pensioners are obliged to pay a fee.

Once again it must be emphasized that all the comments about "re-testing" have no basis and that it is a shame that so many people who commented blamed the driver because of his age when the same people would probably blame the pedestrian if it was a young driver.

Old drivers are more experienced and less dangerous, they are less like to drive recklessly. It’s as simple as that.

Joseph N. Attard

Mar 26th 2012, 19:34

Ganshida Soldado, James Vella and others are obviously young persons, and I bet they will argue differently when, God willing, they get old themselves. Their assumption that anyone over seventy is unfit to drive couldn't be more mistaken. Yes, I said it before, and I will say it again, there are many, many drivers in Malta of ALL ages, who should not be on the road. But there are also many of us old timers who could teach youngsters a thing or two about safe and courteous driving. I have a nagging feeling that these youngsters often mistake careful driving for lethargic driving. Leaving a safe space (two second rule) from the car in front of me, I have often encountered youngsters of both sexes darting in infront of me. No doubt, they would have written me off as a senile, slow driver, little realizing that they are breaking a cardinal safe driving rule. I wonder if these advocates of early retirement have had the pleasurable and knowledge-imparting experience of driving hundreds of kilometers on the four continents without any accident., as I have had.

Paulo Oliveira

Mar 26th 2012, 19:24

In the UK, the age by law for renewing your drving license is 70!! I believe this to be true for most other European countries.
With the evergrowing number of drivers on the road, it is essential that ALL of them are seen fit to drive.
70 Years of age is much much too long for a renewal or reanalysis of someones drvining capabilities, as me the case of a 40 year old!!!!! Renewals need to start earlier !
This actually bugs me as it is actually also a way that a government can have more income.

I hope the lady recovers soon.

Ganshida Soldado

Mar 26th 2012, 18:41

Anyone over 70 should be automatically banned from driving. If you're 70, you're just not the same that you were 30 years or so ago, you're endangering yourself and others. This is for their own safety. There's always Arriva if they need to go pass some time at Valletta or some other hobby.

angelo cilia

Mar 26th 2012, 18:34

Poor Lady, I hope she recovers soon.

James Vella

Mar 26th 2012, 18:19

If there's an age on 18 to start driving there must be an age to stop driving, in my opinion over 70 years of age is more than enough to stop driving. Here are some benefits if there is an age to stop driving.
Reduce traffic
Reduce emissions
More parking spaces made available
Old drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road (making the others furious)
Those over 60 years of age only pay 50c to use the public transport

Joseph N. Attard

Mar 26th 2012, 18:00

Many of the comments below are just gut reactions, without full knowledge of facts. First, drivers over 70 have to produce a medical certrificate, including an eyesight test, before their licence is renewed. I believe that over the age of 75, this is done on a yearly basis. Simple observation of drivers will show that it is the younger driver who is more apt to overspeed and show no observance of basic safety rules, including using the mobile phone while driving. On the other hand, many elderly drivers have never learnt how to drive correctly, and sometimes they are dangerous because they drive too slowly. In a nutshell, each incident has its own dynamics, and one should not generalize. Naturally, our accident rates will continue to increase because we do not have any traffic policemen to speak of, and wardens' main glorious duty remains to issue parking fines, and then to measure distances after an accident.

G G Debono

Mar 26th 2012, 16:58

To…………….Kurt Mifsud

Kurt – If I understand you correctly you “almost got hit AGAIN by an elderly man” while you were cycling to work. on your bike)

( - - - or was it the other way round and you were almost hit by an elderly man on a bicycle ???)

I happen to be an old man who both rides a bicycle and drives a car. I’m afraid that my experience does not support what you say.

As to your remark “how is it possible that at 60 years of age a human being is still in the same condition?” - Well, erm, sorry, but it is possible - I was still windsurfing and often out bombing in high winds until age 69 – so I also prove you wrong. I only stopped after I injured my shoulder in a bike accident (and it wasn't caused by an old man but a patch of oil on the road).

In any case, unless you know the circumstances of the case you have absolutely no right to express your prejudice against old drivers just because it happened this time that it was an old person who was driving the car which hit this unfortunate lady. So you have no business to make assumptions when you don’t know anything about the accident ! .

In any case it is young drivers who are involved in the vast majority of road accidents and not the old.

It is also ironical that when a car driven by a young driver hits a pedestrian everybody blames the pedestrian --- but when it is an old driver then everybody blames the driver.

Irrespective of the circumstances of this case, in my opinion accidents are cause mostly by the absence of sensible speed limits or traffic calming in residential areas. The Attard council took the initiative of introducing a 30kph limit in Attard but it seems that Transport Malta won’t sanction it. And so the serious accidents will continue in our built-up areas. It has been repeatedly shown that, in urban areas, speed kills.

Gillian Snook

Mar 26th 2012, 16:50

Interesting comments from Kurt Mifsud

First comment - "Most of the time they think they still have the agility of 50 years ago."
Second comment "How is it possible that at 60 years of age a human being is still in the same condition?"

How many "people" start driving at the age of 10 ? And do you really think someone is "past it" at 60. I would guess you are very young - anyone who has just left school think that people over 30 are nearing pensionable age !!!

Thanks for the laugh :)

Alexander Pace Gouder.

Mar 26th 2012, 16:22

I live in St.Julians and have been noticing that these last few weeks (say 2 months) many vehicles including buses ( it seems that most of the buses due to the fact that they try to keep to their schedule are just ignoring Zebras and also driving at speeds over the limit) are not stopping for pedestrians trying to cross on the Zebra Crossings. This is happening on the Zebra Crossing in front of Balluta Church, (Here many pedestrians know about this problem and so they wait before they cross to make sure that cars on both sides stop. On many occassions cars on one side stop but on the other side just go through. The 2 Zebra Crossing in Borg Olivier Street which have lights and even if the red light is on the vehicles still go through. The Zebra in Spinola Square (This zebra is rather dangerious because it is in a bend and it is not the first time that a car crushes on the small island of this Zebra Crossing. This is a proof of the way vehicles coming from Paceville area down St.George's Street drive at such a high speed., and the Zebra by the Church further up in St.Georges Street. This is happening mainly in the early morning from 6.00 to 8.00am but also during the day. Then after sunset its a nightmere. Some action should be taken so that motorists are told to stop when they see people crossing on said Zebra Crossings.

Kurt Mifsud

Mar 26th 2012, 16:06

This morning I almost got hit AGAIN (and I emphasize "again") by an elderly man while cycling to work. Out of 5 accidents I avoid, 4 of them the driver is an elderly and they are near serious/death misses. Most of the time they think they still have the agility of 50 years ago.

After a certain age they should do a re-test. When an 18 year old applies for the driving licence he has to do a medical, eye test, etc. How is it possible that at 60 years of age a human being is still in the same condition?

Ms Maria Vella

Mar 26th 2012, 15:35

Definitely hope that the casualty recovers from her injuries.

Perhaps the powers that be should look at having more regular and stricter driving tests for people over a certain age, when reflexes, eye sight might be deteriorating. Doctor's certificates should not suffice.

Such tests would make sure that people who are fit to drive will actually drive

John Scerri

Mar 26th 2012, 14:51

Does it really matter whether the driver was an 80 year old man , a middle aged person, or 21year old , male or female ?
Why is age assimilated with this tragic event ..or is one insinuating that beyond a certain age one is no longer fit to drive?

I wish the woman a speedy recovery .