Malta lags behind most other EU states in planning, managing and implementing road safety strategies, an EU-wide report has found.
The European Transport Safety Council’s (ETSC) annual PIN report gives Malta one failing and two average grades in road safety management tests, with the negative grade mainly down to the failure to ensure government-owned vehicles adhere to high safety standards.
The ETSC is a Brussels-based independent non-profit making organisation dedicated to reducing the numbers of deaths and injuries in transport in Europe.
It finds that Malta has no budget dedicated to the implementation of a national road safety programme, with funds allocated to the area deemed “partly adequate”.
The report also notes that Malta is one of eight surveyed countries without a national road safety plan, although Transport Malta told The Sunday Times that it expects to have one in place by early 2013.
Despite the report’s criticism, statistically Maltese roads remain among the EU’s safest, with road fatality rates well below the EU average – 41 per million inhabitants versus the European average of 60 per million.
But one local driving enthusiast insists that the numbers do not paint a true picture and has redoubled his calls for the creation of a road safety council.
Such councils exist in several European countries and serve in an advisory role to the government, offering road safety expertise from multiple sources.
“Awareness-raising about road safety cannot simply be a seasonal thing that we crank up around Christmas,” said road safety campaigner Philip Agius. “There’s a lack of coordination between the various stakeholders, which means road safety campaigns aren’t as effective as they could be.”
Dr Agius believes an eventual road safety council should bring together representatives from the Transport Ministry, police, drug and alcohol agencies, cycling representatives, the road construction lobby, motoring schools and the taxi sector, among others.
“Everybody speaks to the Transport Ministry or Transport Malta but never to one another.”
A Transport Ministry spokesman said consultation with stakeholders already took place, although they appeared receptive to Dr Agius’s proposal.
“There are no reasons not to consider the formation of a standing committee grouping together stakeholders to propose initiatives to improve road safety,” the ministry spokesman said.
Concern about poor local road safety standards was echoed by architect and road safety promoter Robert Cassar.
“Malta ranks high on EU road safety charts, but that’s down to our tiny size and very short driving times,” Mr Cassar noted. He insisted that while nothing could replace having well-educated drivers and properly-enforced laws, road engineering – from properly-paved roads to adequate safety equipment – could save multiple lives.
“Proper end terminals to crash barriers, crash cushions, temporary cushions for trucks carrying out road works... the list is endless. Many of our roads are so poorly paved that having such equipment can often be a matter of life or death,” argued Mr Cassar.
Malta’s most dangerous roads
1. Coast Road
2. Regional Road
3. Tal-Barrani, Żejtun
4. Birkirkara Bypass
5. Tower Road, Sliema
Based on Transport Malta data for 2007-2009.