The record number of road deaths this year has prompted an emergency meeting between motorcyclists and wardens.

Ray Zammit who heads the government agency responsible for the warden service, told this newspaper that he would be meeting to discuss ways to curb the number of serious incidents involving motorcyclists.

This year 22 people have died in road accidents, nine of them motorcyclists.

Mr Zammit said he wanted to discuss excessive speeding and dangerous roads, as well as safety issues concerning motorcyclists vis-à-vis other motorists.

He also wanted to urge senior motorcyclists, whom he said were held in high esteem in the motorcycling community, to act as mentors with younger, less-experienced riders to point out dangerous driving and set an example.

Earlier this month, a member of the National Road Safety Council’s expressed concern that motorists often purchased powerful motorbikes and pushed them to the limit without enough experience or know-how.

“We have a problem in this country which is becoming increasingly apparent. Many motorcyclists are turning to powerful motorbikes and pushing them on open stretches of road without enough experience or ‘training’… The results, as we have seen, can be catastrophic,” traffic consultant Pierre Vella had said.

His concerns were raised just a few hours after a 25-year-old man from Naxxar died after crashing his motorcycle in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

Last month, this newspaper reported how motorbikes were being raced along the St Paul’s Bay Bypass, reaching speeds nearly double the speed limit.