Injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents have shot up by 62 per cent in the last five years, according to official statistics, amidst growing concerns that roads have become too dangerous for bikers.
Figures from the National Statistics Office show that 377 people were injured in motorcycle accidents last year, compared to just 232 in 2012.
Nine motorcyclists lost their lives in accidents last year alone.
But while bikers appear to be at much greater risk now, the same is not true for other motorists, with the dramatic increase in motorcycle injuries standing in stark contrast to a small rise of just eight per cent in all road traffic injuries between 2012 and 2015.
In fact, bikers are disproportionately represented in the statistics: motorcycle injuries accounted for 16 per cent of all incidents in 2015, even though bikes and scooters represent just six per cent of all vehicles on the road.
The figures lend credence to the growing feeling that Maltese roads – and drivers – are fundamentally inhospitable to motorcycles, despite a raft of recent government incentives encouraging motorists to swap four wheels for two as a way of addressing perennial traffic problems.
Following the first motorcycle fatality of the year, 26-year-old Matthew Azzopardi, who died in a collision in Mosta on New Year’s Day, some of his fellow riders said the accident had been a final eye-opener for the perils of their beloved machines.
The most important thing is for everyone to remind themselves that they don’t own the road
“I’ve lost people I know on bikes, but not this close, and I’m not prepared to lose [my life] and let everyone else feel grief because of that,” one friend wrote on a local motorcycling page.
But pinning down the cause of the growing injury figures is not straightforward. The increase cannot be attributed solely to there being more riders on the road, as statistics show licenced bikes increased by only 45 per cent in the same five years.
Pierre Vella, a traffic consultant within the National Road Safety Council, pointed out that the majority of accidents featured larger, more powerful motorbikes, rather than the scooters and small bikes being pushed in the government incentives.
“We’re getting a lot of people with very powerful bikes; unfortunately it often boils down to arrogance and people ignoring what they learned in their training,” Mr Vella told the Times of Malta, noting that the lack of information on the specific causes of an accident was hindering any efforts to draw up a holistic response.
“It comes down to individual responsibility. The motorbike community should continue to increase and be fruitful: on an island like this, a motorbike is the best thing you can have. The most important thing is for everyone to remind themselves that they don’t own the road. With a motorbike, it’s never ‘just an accident’ because there’s always a risk of loss of life.”
A second aspect, however, is the potential danger to motorcyclists posed by car drivers and the roads themselves.
The Two Wheels Foundation, a motorcycle awareness group, recently announced a campaign addressing road safety in a wider context, engaging pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and car or heavy vehicle drivers.
Among other measures, the organisation is calling for tougher enforcement and increased fines for moving violations, as well as plain-clothes police filtering through traffic to enforce the rules on mobile phone use and other hazardous infringements while driving.
Infrastructural hazards are also in the crosshairs: side barriers, unmarked speed bumps, better cleanliness and repairs, and slippery road markings and road plates, among others.
“On the other hand we, as road users, need to embrace a mindset of ‘what can I do better’ to improve road safety,” the group said in a statement.