Ensuring discipline in Maltese driving standards

The almost daily occurrences of accidents on our roads, some of which are fatal, should lead our lawmakers to update the law in such a manner as to make it incumbent on magistrates and judges to adjudicate stiffer punishments for traffic offenders.

It is thus that one can hope that our courts will use their good offices and serve more stringent punishments to traffic offenders, particularly those who drive under the influence of alcohol and abuse the speed limit, resulting in grievous injuries and, unfortunately, all too often even deaths. Minor traffic offences might be excusable, but they should not be allowed to slip through the cracks. However, drunk driving and speeding should be seen as habits, and such behaviours are risky to road users.

We must ensure that road safety issues are addressed according to 21st-century requirements. All road users must be safely accommodated on the roads, and that is one of the reasons why the legislative amendments in question are necessary and warranted.

Our country’s development will be woefully lacking if our road safety practices are not intensified. Our limited health resources are negatively impacted each year as the country spends millions of euros each year to care for victims of traffic crashes. Furthermore, the insurance industry suffers heavy losses annually as a result of the increasing number of serious traffic accidents. There are also immeasurable losses to the workforce, production, income, and emotional wellbeing of families, as well as damage to property owing to trauma triggered by crashes.

Every life lost on the nation’s roads presents a socio-economic loss to our nation and our communities. Every injury on our roads is a loss to our workforce, our economy, and our communities. How do we stop this haemorrhaging of our country and our economy? Each of us must play a bold, decisive, and responsible role in road safety. But our legislators and the courts must lead the way.

The rapid increase in road accidents has today become a growing concern in Malta, more so as a good percentage of them are fatalities. Such a high number of casualties also highlights the urgent need for road discipline with a view to enhancing safety.

One of the primary causes of road accidents is overspeeding, which is further aggravated by the absence of strict speed limits and monitoring of the same in the country. Not only does overspeeding increase the risk of accidents, but it also raises the potential severity of the injuries, often leading to a fatal outcome. Instead of overspeeding to save time, one should make sure to leave for their destination with enough time in hand, as it not only enables a more comfortable journey but also might avoid the loss of someone’s life besides one’s own.

The other reason for the majority of road accidents is the flouting of basic traffic rules and regulations. Traffic laws in Malta are much more lenient compared to those in foreign countries, as a result of which many drivers and riders heedlessly ignore them, causing traffic congestion and, in the worst cases, fatal or near-fatal accidents. The only way to prevent this is to follow traffic rules and regulations sincerely, such as waiting for the signal to turn green, using indicators before taking a turn, avoiding driving in the opposite direction on a one-way street, riding one’s vehicle on the footpath, and the like. In addition to preventing dangerous accidents, this will also help in the efficient functioning of the transport network, avoiding unnecessary congestion, and more.

Lane discipline is another important factor to be learned and obeyed by all drivers to avoid accidents, reduce travel time, and help the flow of traffic on the roads. The proper adherence to road rules can bring comfort to one’s driving. The violation of lane discipline could be detrimental in cities where more vehicles than the optimum capacity ply on the roads.

The strict enforcement of lane discipline introduced recently is not only an immense relief to the disciplined motorist but also eases urban and suburban traffic congestion to a great extent. This is an important first step in inculcating road discipline in motorists. The culprits, often motorbike riders and three-wheel drivers, break the rules and regulations with a total disregard for fellow motorists. These errant drivers create chaos in a traffic jam by grossly disregarding lane discipline. Arbitrary lane changes break the flow of traffic and cause delays.

Some of the other reasons for accidents are lack of knowledge and understanding of road rules and laws, fatigue, stress of the drivers (especially bus drivers), driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, disorderly pedestrians, and unavoidable human errors.

The most appropriate stage to instill knowledge of road discipline in drivers and riders would be during driving lessons conducted by a driving or motoring school. However, the pressing issue is to ascertain whether driving schools in Malta are sufficiently geared to provide such education.

Lastly, a critically important law of the road is that one must always make way for ambulances, no matter what, since a difference of a few minutes stuck in a traffic jam might decide the life or death of a patient. As such, one must always make sure to allow ambulances to pass, irrespective of road conditions and personal urgency. In fact, it might one day be the same person being transported in a similar ambulance, with their very lives hinged upon being able to reach the hospital at the earliest!

A sustainable solution to the lack of road discipline and safety must be identified as early as possible. The road discipline menace not only harms the public but also runs into staggering amounts of public funds, according to national statistics. It is the hope of every citizen that all Maltese drivers and riders will adhere to traffic rules and regulations.