Suicidal driving experience
On a recent Sunday morning at around 5 a.m., I drove from Qawra to the airport and back and the standard of driving on our roads was simply appalling; young drivers racing, criss-crossing and overtaking inside the Kappara and Marsa tunnels.
I came across a number of minibus drivers who were also driving like maniacs and I do not mean on open roads but in built-up areas and only reducing their speed when there were speed cameras. I did not come across one police car/bike, hence these dangerous drivers are free to go on killing and maiming others without any control whatsoever.
These so called “licensed drivers” are nothing short of suicide drivers, and so far the only way the authorities have used to control these “cowboys of the roads” is by placing a couple of speed cameras along the way.
While accidents will always happen, does anyone out there think that authorities care? The answer must be no, they simply do not.
For if they did they would start education campaigns to educate the drivers and enforce the traffic laws, and not ignore the issue. It is also clear that for the authorities, all these deaths are translated into statistics.
Why not invest in education campaigns followed by enforcement which would reduce accidents instead of carrying on investing in police paperwork and magisterial enquiries?
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Anthony Falzon
Jun 27th 2012, 11:21
WE DO NOT NEED EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS, THESE DRIVERS HAVE ALREADY PASSED THE DRIVING TEST SO THEY KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM, AND WHEN THEY DRIVE ON THE CONTINENT OVERLAND THEY DO NOT DRIVE LIKE THEY DO IN MALTA, SO THIS PROVES THAT WHAT MALTA NEEDS IS MORE LAW ENFORCMENT.....SO FORGET IT AS WE ARE NOT CAPABLE OF SUCH A THING.
William Spencer
Jun 27th 2012, 09:15
The problem regarding Policing ( the roads, and anywhere else ) seems to be that the Police are afraid to book anyone in case they either upset someone who knows them or their family, or the offenders are either friends or family members
I remember two incidents which made me smile. A driver looking for a place to park in the centre of Rabat ( Gozo ), decided to park his large 4 x 4 on a zebra crossing directly opposite the Police Station. Two Policemen were outside the Station talking ( one a motor cycle traffic Policeman ), when they noticed the car parked on the zebra crossing ( causing people to walk in the road to get by ) and they saw the driver getting out of the car ..........what did they do ....... they just waved and shouted Bon Ju to whatever his name was, as he wandered off, and the Policemen just carried on talking to one another. !!!
The second incident was a little more dangerous. Traffic was almost tail to tail along a stretch of straight road ( about 300 hundred metres ) when a car pulled out from behind me, deciding he did not want to wait, and attempted to overtake the whole line of traffic on the wrong side of the road. When he was about half way along the line of traffic, a Police motor cyclist appeared and was towards him ( with traffic following the Police bike ), the Police bike had to swerve and almost mounted the pavement to pass the erratic driver. Did the Policeman stop the car and book the guy ......er no .....the Policeman just kept going, and left the cars that were following him to slowly manoeuvre around the offending car !
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David Hill
Jun 26th 2012, 20:05
As I posted here before; but my letter wasn't published for some reason; Malta needs to have "Average speed cameras" to make roads safer by encouraging drivers to maintain a consistent speed.
Average Speed Cameras are one example of new Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). The information collected by the cameras is used to make our roads safer.
Average speed camera systems measure a vehicle’s average speed from point to point along a length of a route. They can be used to manage vehicle speeds over sections as short as 200m, or over the entire length of a route.
IU have just come back from a trip where we encountered 3 different stes of these, and NO ONE was speeding, in one place we had a 6 mile stretch with a 40 mph limit and we were all doing around 37mph
Mr Peter Barbara
Jun 26th 2012, 17:47
Ironically, many years back Sunday morning at that unearthly hour was a very pleasant time to drive -if you were fully awake, that is- and you wanted to go somewhere, like fishing, for example.
Nowadays, I can confirm that at this hour or even a bit later, you have to be at your best behaviour . I know because every Sunday morning for the last fifteen years, I wake up at that time to meet up with my friends for the customary Sunday run. Either driving or jogging you have to keep a sharp look out for some maniacs ( I would call them homicidal not suicidal) driving home or wherever to sleep it off.
Carmel Vella
Jun 26th 2012, 17:43
As Peter Murray says, we have no DISCIPLINE basically. Let's install bumps on all roads every few yards. That's probably the only way we can stop morons from driving without due care , and responsibility.
Joe Anastasi
Jun 26th 2012, 22:06
You don't need to install them. They are there, in every road, for free, except that instead of being protrusions, they are depressions, or in simpler terms potholes.
Carmel Vella
Jun 27th 2012, 04:35
Good one Joe, I do like your answer. Still, it does not stop idiotic drivers unfortunately.
Godfrey Camilleri
Jun 26th 2012, 12:25
The fact that traffic police are now where to be seen is just appalling. A relative of mine was recently visiting from Australia and he remarked about the absence of traffic police from our roads which contrasted sharply from the situation in his homeland where traffic police were all over the place. That is the only way to install discipline and we need this here much more since the majority of our drivers are just indisciplined. Wake up traffic police.
Giovanni Rizzo
Jun 26th 2012, 10:19
Night traffic control is a must.
Brian Simmons
Jun 26th 2012, 09:51
These standards have been the norm for far too many Maltese drivers since they gave up the donkey cart.
C Cassar
Jun 26th 2012, 10:35
enjoy the wet UK summer. June apparently has been the wettest on record I hear.
Peter Murray
Jun 26th 2012, 11:41
Most of us couldn't afford a cart let alone a donkey in the good old days - but many British could.
Mr Tony Gatt
Jun 26th 2012, 14:55
@ C. Cassar
A typical moronic answer. What's a British wet summer got to do with Maltese driving habits? These lunatics would not last long out of jail on British roads. If the police got to them before they killed themselves, that is.
Brian Simmons
Jun 26th 2012, 18:33
Thank you Mr Gatt. I couldn't work it out either, so I ignored it! I know my comment was rather cheeky so I accepted the odd response. in fact although the summer has been wet so far, where I live thankfully there has been no flooding and feel very deeply for those who have been. Mind you now the weather has warmed up a little, my veg patch is looking very healthy. Regarding Mr Murray whom I admire, although I COULD probably afford a donkey and cart, I have nowhere to store it or the skills or inclination to look after it. Mind you if I hired it out in Rabat or Valletta I would ensure it had a shelter. I don't think there is any way that you could train bad drivers in Malta to improve, maybe they think it's their right to drive how they like. When I first visited Malta over 25 years ago I though that anyone who opened a shop selling car light bulbs and indicator bulbs could make a fortune, but it seems not as no-one seems to have tried!
Carmel Vella
Jun 27th 2012, 04:44
At least Malta had carts many thousands of years ahead of your country.
Mr Lawrence Mifsud
Jun 26th 2012, 09:16
Lots of talking about education: the answer is only in ENFORCEMENT of the Law.
Peter Murray
Jun 26th 2012, 11:44
Dear Wenzu,
LOOKED everywhrere in the Maltese lexicon but couldn't find this word enforcement ,nor responsibility nor accountability-this dictionary,along with the Maltese Highway Code ,may prove to be one of the smallest books in the world.
Please choose the reason of your report below: