This year has not been a good one for fatalities and serious injuries caused by road accidents.  In spite of all the road safety campaigns, educational video clips and stricter driving tests, the problem seems to get worse rather than better.

What is wrong with our driving? What do we need to reach a better standard?

One needs to think hard and critically and perhaps try to learn from other countries by looking at some of the initiatives adopted there.

Smartphones have changed our lives, mostly for the better, but probably for the worse when it comes to driving. The UK police have just started an experiment to crack down on motorists who use their mobile phone while driving. While fines and penalty points for this offence have been doubled, officers will be using unmarked vans, helmet cams and high-seated vehicles to catch offenders. Their aim is to make ‘driving-distracted’ as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.

In Malta, like the UK, drink-driving is illegal, but the level enforcement of the law cannot even be compared. What is more worrying is that many, unfortunately, do not appreciate the need to be absolutely non-tolerant of drink-driving.

Unless we get proper reinforcement in place, we have little hope that people’s attitudes will change

It is rare that when out for the evening, anybody pays attention to limiting alcohol intake because they would be driving or, even worse, that anybody else remarks on it. There is of course the widely-held belief that alcohol limits are too strict and that in reality one can still drive safely even if one is ‘not too much’ over the limit. This is proven to be totally incorrect in every study ever undertaken. So we need to really start to accept that drinking alcohol and driving is simply irresponsible and totally unacceptable.

Using a phone while driving and drink-driving are certainly not the only causes of accidents. Many accidents are caused by carelessness, indifference and a lack of respect for other road users. Why, otherwise, would some drivers double park, blocking traffic, drive slowly on the outer lane, causing vehicles to overtake on the inside, not give precedence to cyclists and pedestrians, ignore stop and give-way signs, jump red lights, not use indicators and make illegal manoeuvres like U-turns or driving against one-way signs?

Some drivers put their own convenience and comfort above everything else and are totally insensitive about the fact that their actions may cause danger to others and sometimes their own selves. It seems that no amount of road safety campaigns and educational messages work as attitudes remain unchanged. So where does this leave us?

Enforcement makes us think of gentlemanly, well-mannered yet forceful and disciplined police officers and traffic wardens who are able to close a kind eye to minor transgressions, but are merciless with bullies and blatant offenders. Well, we can dream on, because this scenario is far from reality and we all know it.

Unless we get proper enforcement in place, we have little hope that people’s attitudes will change. We need to start by having the required amount of officers available who are well equipped and, more importantly, properly trained. Perhaps we also need to reconsider the penalties and sanctions given out by our courts on illegal driving.

The idea of having a demerit point system on one’s licence is an excellent one, as it can act as an effective deterrent. Another idea might be requiring offenders to attend safe driving classes (in use in the North German state of Flensburg) or take specialised driving tuition and a driving test to re-acquire a suspended licence (adopted in The Netherlands).

And what about speeding? There are crazy drivers weaving from one side to the other at an inappropriately high speed. Don’t speed cameras help? Of course, they have helped, but we all know how we see cars suddenly slowing down when approaching one and then speeding up again once safely past it. Other measures are clearly needed, but back to a driver’s attitude towards safe driving.

Is it all negative? No, it’s not. We cannot ignore the fact the we have better roads, better markings, more traffic lights and a driving test that produces better drivers than before.  What we really need though is a change in mentality, a totally different outlook on driving and a true appreciation of the risks involved. Fundamentally, we need to grow up and act like responsible adults rather than like over-excited children playing with their favourite toy.

Francis Valletta is general manager of GasanMamo Insurance.

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