Iwas slightly bemused after having mulled over the 56-page ‘Speed management on Maltese roads policy and technical guidance manual (consultation document)’ and 52 pages of annexes.

Emergency services were called in almost 1,000 times last year and19 per cent were grievous or fatal- Hugh Arnett

Possibly amazed at the magnificent vision so forthrightly expounded by its author/s? No name appears, although both Transport Malta and the Transport Ministry seem to be jointly involved; and Major Peter Ripard delivered what appears to be a keynote speech on the vexed subject of how to make drivers behave with less enthusiasm and more common sense.

I am aware that most bypasses no longer ‘bypass’ anything and that motorists should drive with due care and attention on them.

Independence Avenue in Mosta is presumably now safe at 50km/h (40km/h for many years), and one supposes it is now considered safe to approach pelican crossings at up to 80 km/h if a light pole is visible and the road is a ‘non-skid’ one.

Approaching the crossing, we may well see many more urban speed limits being increased from 35km/h back to the original speed of 50km/h. I feel that with the normal 50km/h being reintroduced, more motorists will revert to their 60-65 km/h limit through the wider urban roads.

Jonathan Joslin, from the MaterDei Emergency Department, saiddispatch records showed thatemergency services were called in almost 1,000 times last year and that19 per cent of the calls were either grievous injuries or fatal.

With 240,000 motorists and 330,000 vehicles, 1,000 hard bangs that needed the ambulance and with 190 people being described as grievousor fatal, we must be pretty gooddrivers or modern cars are mostreasonably ‘safe’.

This was highlighted by Dr Joslin, who went on to say that the worst collisions were those caused by speeding drivers who were drunk, tired or using their mobile phone.

“Kill the speed”, he cautioned, while showing the X-ray image of the fractured skull of a 16-year-old passenger involved in a car collision. But what is too fast?

So when we take out of the equation the drunks, the tired and those using a mobile phone, how many ‘normal’ drivers are taken to hospital.

Is this not the time for Transport Malta to stress the number of yearly road fatalities which, I believe, sits at around 20.

Police find it impossible to pinpoint the precise position where serious accidents occur on rural main roads.

The position is the only useful guide for Transport Malta to use when determining if a section of road is unduly dangerous. ‘Coastroad’, for example, is simply not enough.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority produces a map of Malta. Navigational aids called Roamers are readily available, and by matching up landmarks around the road with the very accurate map and using a Roamer, a map referenceaccurate to 10 metres can bequickly established.

There are hundreds of Maltese rally navigators able to use a Roamer who could teach the police how to pinpoint the scene of each accident.

Speed limits will be revisedwith only three short stretches ofroad being at the legal maximumof 80 km/h: Mrieħel bypass, partof St Paul’s bypass and part of Mellieħa bypass.

It would seem that all country roads will be restricted to 50km/h, and 70km/h will be used more commonly in the north than in the south.

Many important roads will carry a 60km/h maximum limit and there seems to be a move to introduce average speed cameras (two, set up a distance apart and if the driver passes through at more than the speed allowed, they would be nabbed).

However, Transport Maltaallows a 10 per cent leeway through speed cameras, in line with European countries.

This is ruined by saying: “It is understood, however, that not all joint committees and localtribunals have applied this advice in practice.”

To be continued.

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