While thanking James Wightman and Daniela Maas for their cordial responses to my letter of November 16 regarding road safety and cycling, may I publicly commend them both on finally accepting that the road fatality rate for cyclists in Malta is very, very low and also for admitting that this is only because, thankfully, we have so few cyclists.
Should cycling in Malta increase to approach Dutch levels, we are also in agreement that the mortality rate for cyclists on local roads would likely increase twentyfold (from 0.05 to one per 100,000 inhabitants per year) and this even if we were ever able to replicate the excellent road infrastructure, driving and cycling standards of the Netherlands.
I agree with Maas that, since the necessary infrastructure to separate cyclists and heavy traffic is not in place in Malta, the only way to separate cyclists from traffic is for them to avoid major roads. Where I strongly disagree with them both is that an unavoidable twentyfold increase in cyclist road deaths could possibly have any significant health or social benefits. They should re-read my letter and note my reference to other alternative modes of exercise before they make cheap personal attacks. My emphasis was on safe exercise and I will not defend unsafe cycling in a diesel-rich atmosphere, so very sorry.
George Debono’s verbose piece of last Saturday dresses opinions, unsupported by facts, with inaccuracies and presents them as international consensus. It is shameful that a serious newspaper allows such, time and time again. Anyone who travels by car in Europe will note that his statements about speed limits are simply untrue. I have challenged Debono to publish evidence for his wild claims before, including his quotation of a highly-controversial study on motor vehicle speed which has been challenged as unscientific.
If one consults Wikipedia one finds that speed limits of 30kph in towns are very rare and all countries which apply such 30kph speed limits only do so within a range of speeds going up to 40 to 60kph in urban areas. For example, in Sweden, the range of speed limits in urban areas is 30kph to 60kph. The list of national speed limits speaks for itself. Globally, only Vietnam imposes a national 80kph speed limit on dual carriageways. Maybe Malta and Vietnam have similar road infrastructures?
It is interesting that he continues to defend cyclists who do not wear safety equipment and discounts published evidence of the net benefits of cyclists’ helmets. It seems the only evidence Debono is prepared to accept is that which purportedly supports his wild fantasies of a utopia where the delivery truck is man-powered and if you have a medical emergency the urgent response team comes to visit you on a bicycle.
What is his alternative for powered flight, power stations and factory machinery? A return to pre-Industrial Age Europe?