The point system in place to penalise reckless motorists in their first three years of driving should apply to everybody, the Malta Insurance Association head says.
Director general Adrian Galea argued in an opinion piece today that the demerit point system (DPS), introduced in 2004, should not be limited to the three years after drivers get their licence.
Instead, the same set of rules should apply to anyone who breaks the rules, irrespective of their number of years on the road. If a driver exceeds the 12-point mark from breaking a series of rules, the licence is withdrawn, but once the probationary period expires, the point system is lifted.
“In reality, though, the motorist is still using the same road network and should, therefore, be following the same set of rules – except that the deterrent has now been lifted,” Mr Galea says.
His comments come after a series of recent road accidents, some of which resulted in fatalities or serious injuries. A 26-year-old man died this week after being hit by a taxi on The Strand in Sliema early on Tuesday morning. Last week, two men were seriously injured after a van and car collided head-on in Qawra.
“Every road user can contribute towards a better traffic flow and fewer accidents simply by following the rules,” Mr Galea writes. Yet he insists that while the fines for contraventions such as the use of mobile phones were recently hiked, this was not the most effective way to tackle the problem, as fines are forgotten once settled.
Mr Galea goes on to argue that in other European countries, drivers are more disciplined as repeat offenders are not only handed out fines but also subject to a demerit point system.
“An accumulation of penalty points over time will lead to the suspension or revocation of a driving licence,” he says. He adds that in some countries, drivers who accumulate points may redeem some of them if their driving practices improve through education.
For such a system to work, however, it must work in tandem with an effective enforcement system, since ultimately there still needs to be someone on the road to monitor the situation and take the necessary action, he says.
Such a point system would also allow insurance companies to better differentiate between those drivers who regularly break the law and those who have a clean record. “As things stand today, reckless drivers are enjoying a free ride thanks to the lower insurance costs that are indirectly subsidised by careful drivers,” Mr Galea says.