We have all watched with wonder the pictures and videos posted on social media showing deserted streets and empty roads, as many of us dutifully follow the instructions given by the authorities to stay home to combat the spread of COVID-19.  

The eerie images have made us admire the beauty of our country, to ponder on how serene our capital city and our towns look and to hope that, when we regain some normality, we will not go back to the madness of daily life we had got used to.  

We have also been dutifully reminded what an impact and contributory effect our congested roads have on pollution.  

Some people, however, have seen something else: an opportunity to practise their favourite sport, car racing. But instead of doing this on a racetrack, they choose to drive their car at speed around Malta’s empty roads.

This phenomenon is not only being witnessed in Malta, as other countries have also reported an increase in cases of speeding.  In the UK, the police have reported a substantial drop in the number of car accidents but, according to provisional data, the crashes have been more serious. 

The head of the Metropolitan police’s road command said on radio that: “We are seeing speeds of 142mph, 140mph, 134mph.  The 134mph was in a 40mph zone.  In 20mph zones, roads are averaging 37mph even though the maximum is 20mph.”

The Malta Road Safety Council cannot help but notice the good results achieved by the police through their enforcement sprees, which check for speeding and other offences throughout various spots around Malta, especially those which are renowned for speeding.  The media reported that 56 drivers were charged on one Sunday for speeding offences, with one of them reaching a speed of 146kph.

Enforcement must not only happen but must also be seen to happen- Pierre Vella

There is little doubt that when an accident happens, the higher the speed at which the vehicles are travelling, the greater the damage and the risk of fatality and serious injury.  

In the Valletta Declaration on Road Safety, made after the meeting of EU transport ministers held in Malta in March 2017, it was stated that:  “Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and being distracted or tired while driving, continue to be among the major causes of road-traffic collisions. Failure to use protective equipment aggravates the severity of injuries. Particular attention should thus be paid to improving road-users’ behaviour.”  

The World Health Organisation has long been stating that the main cause of accidents is speed, which in 2018 caused over 25,000 deaths and around 125,000 injures in EU countries alone.  

Even more worrying is the fact that the majority of those killed or injured were vulnerable road users.

We have been worrying, rightly so, about the number of persons infected with coronavirus as well as the sad deaths that have occurred.  We however seem to forget that in comparison, over 1,300 people get injured in traffic accidents every year, some of them remaining with a permanent disability, while another 20 are killed. 

It is therefore inconceivable that at times such as these, where we are all undergoing great sacrifices to preserve lives, some individuals are so inconsiderate that they take the opportunity to flaunt the speeding laws and ignore the consequences of their actions.   

As executive chairman of the Road Safety Council together with all our members plus all road users, it is our duty to promote behaviour which is conducive to safer roads.  

Furthermore, the council feels responsible to emphasise that during these times, we need to do our part and stay at home rather than venturing outside and flaunting the power that our vehicles can develop.  

I wish to take this opportunity to express my thanks to health superintendent Charmaine Gauci for the sterling work she and her team are doing in keeping this pandemic under control. We are also very proud that she is also part of our council.  Resorting to abusive behaviour on our roads at a time of relative calm attracts front-line resources, which are extremely scarce to manage. We need to devote the necessary attention if and when accidents do take place.  

With our emergency services and resources extremely stretched in coping with this pandemic and ensuring compliance with ongoing directives issued by the government, this selfish behaviour can certainly be spared, if anything to show respect to those who risk their lives while tackling this crisis.  

The Malta Road Safety Council therefore wishes to appeal to all drivers to be considerate not only for their own lives but also for those of others. 

We must not put other road users in danger, particularly at these times where health workers and others working in vital sectors are using the roads to go to their place of work or to carry out their job.  

We also appeal to the police and other road enforcement authorities to keep up the good work and even increase their efforts to maintain discipline on our roads.  Unfortunately, human nature is such that if drivers feel that the risk of being caught is low, they will take the chance.

Enforcement must not only happen but must also be seen to happen.

Pierre Vella is executive chairperson, Malta Road Safety Council.