The footage last week of a Chevrolet Matiz mowed down a few metres away from flickering Christmas lights in St Paul's Bay should remain imprinted as one of the heart-wrenching images of the year.

An elderly couple were killed by the violent impact of another car driven by an 18-year-old as they were negotiating the roundabout.

The accident took place just a few hours after a German woman was run over on a pedestrian crossing in Għajnsielem. So far, nothing shows that the victims were at fault.

While an EU-wide effort led to a reduction of 15,400 victims in seven years, Malta is driving towards its bloodiest year for road fatalities in the past decade.

That our roads boast the best safety record in the EU has nothing to do with disciplined driving, and should offer no consolation. We are merely lucky that driving distances are short. But with the increasing number of cars, coupled with the persistent king-of-the-road attitude, Malta's roads are fast becoming a recipe for mayhem.

To be fair, driving tests have become tougher and some action has been taken to make roads safer, but in most cases it has been cosmetic.

The installation of speed cameras in some arterial roads have created ludicrous situations, as speeding cars screech to a snail's pace once drivers realise they are in the vicinity of such devices. Installing speed bumps (mostly badly illuminated ones) have often served to damage cars of unwary drivers. On the other hand, the once-promised red light cameras, which automatically photograph vehicles disobeying stop lights, have never seen the light of day.

Solving road anarchy is more complex than just addressing speed. It boils down to the three Es - enforcement, engineering, and most importantly, education.

Tell a young driver that he is likely to kill someone with his new car, especially if he is under the influence of alcohol, and he will dismiss you and reach for his keys. Tell him there is likely to be a checkpoint somewhere in his path - and not the conspicuous warden trying to hide behind the usual tree - and he will probably get a lift.

As our story on page 7 shows, most drivers still cannot muster one of the most basic road regulations - stopping at pedestrian crossings. But with an average of only one daily infringement ticket (costing just €11.65) given out it is clear the wardens have other priorities... such as dishing out tickets to illegally parked cars.

The Times recently reported that an upcoming reform would see wardens concentrate more on education rather than give out tickets. While this is a positive measure it is essential to realise that some people only learn when you hit them where it hurts most - their pocket. When compulsory use of seat belts was introduced, many had no choice but to strap up or else face a heavy fine. Likewise, albeit to a lesser extent, many nowadays think twice before using their mobile phones in their vehicles.

The 'engineering' aspect is a tougher demand. Redesigning our roads will take years and money - doing something about our black spots need not.

Education is essential in a country where several drivers believe laws are there to be broken. We have no choice but to go back to basics and embark on media safety campaigns, school lectures if need be, to underline the need to stop at red lights, use indictors, and so on.

The transport authorities should consider forcing anyone convicted of any traffic offence to take their driving test again. More importantly, Malta needs to follow other countries' cue and introduce a long-overdue penalty points system for defaulting drivers.

As 2009 tails off with blood on the streets, the authorities will probably do what they have done in the past and install a speed camera in St Paul's Bay. Nationwide 'punishment' by installing more speed cameras is nothing more than a lazy solution.

The transport authorities have already failed abysmally with vehicle emissions - let's hope they can start delivering on road safety.