(Another) commission to tackle road safety
The government has announced plans to set up what it is describing as a transport safety investigations commission.
Amongst other things, it will be investigating fatal road accidents, of which we have seen a sharp rise in the year which is about to end.
The government is also planning to increase fines related to traffic contraventions, in the hope that they will act as a deterrent. We have further been told that a paper listing the fines which has been circulating on social media for the past weeks is not the finalised version.
But it seems that we are heading in that direction, with fines to be heftily increased. Maybe the government wants to let the Christmas season pass before announcing how much drivers will have to pay – and how many points they will be losing – when they break traffic rules.
The new commission, we are told, will be divided into three sectors – civil aviation, maritime and road. While we understand that all modes of transport can be dangerous, what we need to tackle strongly and promptly is the road sector, since we are experiencing a rise in traffic accidents, some of which are fatal or lead to serious injuries.
There is evidently little safety on our roads, both for drivers and pedestrians. Most accidents can easily be avoided if there is extra attention paid, and no risks are taken. Too often we see drivers and pedestrians alike taking unnecessary risks – many times, accidents are avoided by a whisker, but in some occasions accidents do happen.
As such, this new commission may be interpreted as a vote of no confidence by the government in the Malta Road Safety Council. Clearly, the council’s work has not been enough to instil a greater sense of responsibility on our roads.
The Doctors for Road Safety, an NGO made up of volunteers, is certainly more present in the media when it comes to road safety. It issues regular statements on road safety and tries to raise awareness about the problems that exist on our roads.
In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday last month, the NGO’s secretary, Dr Mario Vassallo, highlighted the lack of data that exists with regard to traffic accidents. Added to this, in a very typical Maltese way, we do not do much in terms of prevention, but tend to act only after something has happened.
With the number of cars on the road on the rise and with the road infrastructure trying to catch up with the needs, it is imperative that all drivers (and pedestrians) exercise caution on the roads. The increase in fines might lead some to be more careful, but most of all we need a comprehensive education campaign – not only in schools for prospective drivers, or the newlylicensed younger ones, but also for seasoned drivers who may have become too comfortable behind the wheel.
Let us all do our bit, in order to prevent accidents from happening.