Road signage in Malta must be improved if a new EU law intended to boost road safety is to be effective, the head of the insurers’ association has said.
All new cars sold from July across Europe must make use of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), under EU legislation described by the European Commission as a “huge step forward for road safety”.
The Commission says the rule has the potential to dramatically reduce road traffic injuries and fatalities. Malta saw a record 26 road deaths in 2022 and 15 people have died in road accidents this year so far.
However, for the system to work properly, clearer signage showing speed limits needs to be available as part of the road infrastructure, said Adrian Galea, director general of Insurance Association Malta.
ISA is a technology that detects speed limits and gives a quick warning to drivers when they are over-speeding, through acoustic signals or vibrations. Other options are a function to gently reduce speed and a pedal restoring force that pushes back the accelerator pedal.
“The ISA system is required to work with the driver and not to restrict his/her possibility to act in any moment during driving. The driver is always in control and can easily override the ISA system,” the Commission explained.
Galea said: “Over-speeding is one of the main causes of traffic accidents, injuries and sadly, fatalities, so any measures intended to control speed will undoubtedly have an effect on saving lives.
“Slower speed can also reduce the consequences of an accident if a collision cannot be avoided.” But signage in Malta needs to improve if ISA is to work effectively here, Galea said.
For one, the signs need to be strategically placed to avoid the ISA reading other signs and applying the incorrect speed limit.
“It is very common to have two speed limits on top of each other or in close proximity,” he pointed out.
Signs would also need to be regularly maintained and replaced if broken.
“With such technology becoming widely available in vehicles, it is also important that the ISA is properly restored in a post-crash repair,” Galea added.
The rule was controversial when first announced.
It has been mandatory to fit them on new cars since 2022 but they can so far be deactivated. They will have to be activated on all new cars sold after July 2024.
Galea said other sensor-based safety technology, such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warnings are standard in many vehicles.
Rota, a cycling advocacy group, has welcomed the new EU rule, saying it was only a matter of time before such speed limiters became widespread in Malta.