Eyes on the Road is the focus of the campaign just launched by Transport Malta, the Malta Road Safety Council (MRSC) and the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure. As active members of the MRSC, the Malta Insurance Association (MIA) welcomes this initiative.
Such educational campaigns, aimed at raising the overall awareness of the public to the dangers that driver distraction may have during driving, are always considered to be a step in the right direction. This year’s campaign, which is expected to run for a few months, follows on a similar campaign launched three years ago, at the time targeting the risks (and illegality) of drink-driving. The question that arises is whether this is enough.
The MIA has for a while been advocating the introduction of a penalty points system for all motorists. Since making this position unequivocally clear, public awareness about the urgent need for better enforcement has started to increase and this is noticeable from the various interactions we have with different stakeholders.
It was equally interesting to note that a recent poll conducted by this newspaper yielded very interesting results with 90 per cent of readers in favour of such implementation. It is to be expected that those of us who drive responsibly and carefully would not be perturbed by the introduction of a penalty points system. On the other hand, those who regularly flout the law should be.
The MIA has its own views about how such a demerit points system should be introduced locally. We understand that this is a major decision which requires careful planning and consideration by the authorities responsible. However, as the saying goes “Where there is a will…..” and thus if our politicians take the necessary steps to protect the rights of certain segments of our population, I fail to see the reason for any intransigence in pushing forward with better controls which will make our roads safer.
As Transport Minister Joe Mizzi himself succinctly put it, “each loss of life was a matter of national policy to the government” (Times of Malta, June 12, 2015).
Introducing penalty points is not so alien to the politicians, to quote just two examples.
Legal Notice 406 of 2013 entitled Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (CAP. 425) states in article 3 that: “A penalty system shall apply for every person who is the holder of a fishing licence issued pursuant to the Act for a Maltese fishing vessel and to the Master of such vessel so licensed.” Article 6 of the same legal notice specifies the sanction that applies if certain thresholds are exceeded.
Similarly, the administration of penalty points is also contemplated in the fifth schedule of Legal Notice 432 (2015) entitled Use of Animals and Animal-drawn Vehicles on the Road regulations, 2015.
So while one cannot but applaud public awareness campaigns, they need to be part of a much wider strategy with clear longer-term objectives.
The EU itself has set itself a target of reducing the number of deaths on the road by half by 2020, and expects all member states to follow this lead. Certain countries have introduced plans to reach this objective. I am sure that the set-up of the MRSC locally and the launch of a Road Safety Strategy (2014/2024) are considered to be measures that move in this direction too.
The BBC reported as recently that drivers caught using handheld mobile phones in Britain are to face “much tougher penalties”, with fines and points doubling.
Curbing the use of mobile phones while driving is becoming a challenge to be reckoned with in practically every developed country
Under the new rules, which are expected to be implemented by mid-2017, drivers will now get six penalty points on their licence and face a €250 fine. With 12 points available to a motorist, a six-point penalty for using the mobile phone while driving should set the motorist thinking long and hard about whether to risk using the device or not.
The interesting bit is the following – some think that this is simply not enough. They believe that the use of a mobile phone while driving should be subjected to even harsher treatment – such as an immediate ban as the one applied for drink-driving.
Curbing the use of mobile phones while driving is becoming a challenge to be reckoned with not only locally but in practically every developed country. Applying the relevant sanction to defaulters becomes increasingly difficult unless the motorist is caught red-handed. In the UK, the Association of Chief Police Officers has issued guidelines requiring drivers’ mobile phones to be checked even in the event of a minor accident.
Legislators worldwide are also turning their attention and resorting to technology to assist them with this goal, although, admittedly, it will still take a while before it becomes available.
Israeli firm Cellebrite is at the forefront of developing what is referred to as a ‘textalyzer’ – a device which helps the authorities determine whether someone involved in a motor accident was unlawfully driving while distracted.
Equally of interest is the mobile phone interlock, which effectively disables a device once the vehicle is running, thus preventing the use, or rather the urge, to use the phone while driving.
We might see further developments in this field, but in the meantime, the safest bit of advice to follow is to switch off the phone before starting the vehicle, or else to invest in hands free devices.
Reckless and irresponsible drivers, particularly those who flout the rules regularly, should be given an unequivocal message which goes beyond an educational campaign - it is an offence to use the mobile phone while driving.
Let us consider the maths behind this. A vehicle travelling at a speed of 30km per hour would have travelled a distance of 41 metres if the driver is distracted for a mere five seconds. You can imagine what this can cause. The sanctions must be tough and be applied evenly, irrespective of the offence and the offender.
The MIA is convinced that Transport Malta has already conducted all the necessary studies and research it requires to set the ball rolling with the implementation of a wider penalty points system. Legislation needs to be amended to recognise such changes, however, we cannot afford to be complacent and lose more time.
Whereas other countries are forging ahead and introducing stiffer penalties, we are still at a point of raising awareness and considering whether penalty points should be introduced, or not. In the meantime, our roads continue to be plagued with traffic accidents and regrettably, fatalities. Ultimately legislation is only of value if there is effective enforcement, so the police and the courts must play their part as well.
Introducing a demerit points system in Malta may require a period of transition possibly even up to three years. During this transition period, enforcement agencies must be given the necessary tools and resources to implement the new rules.
We would therefore recommend that during this transition period, motorists are informed what the equivalence in points each traffic offence equates to and each year, just before their annual driving licence is renewed, they are told what their cumulative position is.
This system enables the motorist to adjust for the day when penalty points become a reality by being made aware of the points he or she would have accumulated. During this period of transition, awareness campaigns such as the one launched by Transport Malta play a very important part – but, I repeat, it cannot be an end in itself, but only a means to an end.
Adrian Galea is director general of the Malta Insurance Association.