The Insurance Association Malta has expressed concern that yet another setback has delayed the setting up of the Road Safety Bureau.

The government first announced plans to establish the bureau in December 2022 as part of a wider reform to consolidate air, sea, and road safety investigations under one Transport Safety Investigation Commission.

Currently, magisterial inquiries and police investigations are the only methods of investigating road accidents in Malta. These inquiries determine civil or criminal liabilities, and their conclusions generally remain confidential.

Times of Malta reported earlier this month that the bureau's setting up had been delayed by the judiciary’s hesitancy to share the contents of magisterial inquiries owing to the confidentiality of investigations and the privacy of those involved.

It is understood that the government and the judiciary are working towards a compromise on this issue.

Three people died in separate traffic accidents on August 27.

"Behind every road fatality there is a shattered family mourning the premature loss of loved ones," the Insurance Association said. 

"The recent occurrence of three mid-week fatalities in a single day — and a number of accidents since — marked a tragic moment for Malta’s roads, underscoring the critical need for respect between road users and adherence to traffic rules.

“This is a stark reminder that authorities must take decisive action to uphold road safety, including the swift implementation of an accident investigation agency and regular enforcement against drink-driving, drug-driving, speeding, and mobile phone distractions,” the association added.

“No one can deny that Malta urgently needs a road accident investigation bureau, similar to those in the aviation and maritime sectors. This bureau would be a crucial element of a comprehensive road safety strategy that has long been promised but remains largely unaddressed."

It said road safety can only happen when both authorities and road users work in unison.