Speed kills. That is what we are told by a multitude of warning road signs scattered across Malta and Gozo.

Why, then, is enforcement around this life-threatening problem so weak?

Malta’s roads have undergone significant transformations over the decades. I am old enough to recall a time when smooth roads were a rare sight in this country.

While nobody would argue that our roads are perfect today, the improvements are undeniable. But this has brought its own set of problems. For a troublingly sizeable minority, a flat, open road is a licence to hit unconscionable speeds. No matter what risk this poses to other members of the public. Or themselves.

Enforcement of the rules is sporadic at best and rests heavily on piecemeal measures like speed cameras, which only yield an effect on select stretches of road.

Here is an unpopular suggestion: speed gun-wielding LESA officers need to become a ubiquitous sight in Malta.

But if these traffic guardians are to be a force for good, they must not act as revenue collectors. Instead, they should be champions of public safety. The guiding principle of their work should be clear: to reduce accidents and save lives. Quotas for catching offenders or raising money through fines should not enter the equation.

Enforcement must serve one purpose only: minimising potential harm to all users of roads and streets, from motorists to pedestrians, and cyclists to e-scooter users.

And speed is not the only issue. The Insurance Association Malta, a lobby group, noted its dismay in a New Year statement at how the police only appear to engage in systematic roadside drug testing around the festive season.

“Road safety should never be treated as a seasonal concern; it must remain a priority every single day,” the association said.

There is an argument to be made that relying on static speed cameras may well be counterproductive since many motorists accelerate abruptly – and often dangerously so – the very moment they have driven past the point at which they are likely to incur a fine.

Who knows how many collisions have occurred over the years because of this very dynamic? Well, as it happens, almost nobody knows. And this is another large part of the problem.

News reports on accidents typically allude to a driver losing control of their vehicle for “some unknown reason” and then sign off with the detail that a police investigation is ongoing. And that is, invariably, the last we hear of that.

If the conversation around traffic safety is to become useful, this needs to change. There must be more transparency about what specifically is causing fatal and near-fatal accidents. The responsibility also lies with the media to press the police and other government agencies for clarity.

The government could do worse than initiate a comprehensive public inquiry into road safety that would study all aspects of this problem, including lack of awareness of the rules of the road, systemic issues in road maintenance, driver behaviour and weaknesses in infrastructure design. Collating the findings of investigations into the innumerable accidents happening on Malta’s roads into a sweeping analysis will offer important clues on how to get out of this mess.

For a troublingly sizeable minority, a flat, open road is a licence to hit unconscionable speeds- Peter Leonard

The data we do have – as compiled by the National Statistics Office – paint an incomplete and overly vague picture. A study of the most recent four quarters of traffic accident statistics highlights Birkirkara as a notable hotspot for collisions (for some reason), indicating the need for a targeted, place-based strategy to mitigate risks. At the same time, the data shows little evidence of a strong seasonal pattern in accident frequency, which only underscores the necessity for long-term initiatives focused on addressing both behavioural issues and infrastructure improvements.

And there is no excuse for bureaucratic lethargy. It was troubling to learn from a report published in Times of Malta following the first traffic fatality of this year that a Transport Safety Investigative Commission that was supposed to be up and going by 2023 is no closer than it ever was to seeing the light of day.

As an active mobility NGO, we at Rota think a lot about how roads can be designed in a way that makes them safer for cyclists, as well as electric bike and e-scooter users. Not to speak of mothers pushing prams, dog-walkers and joggers.

A good start to remedying shortcomings would be to undertake a critical review of the standards that Infrastructure Malta uses in designing roads.

A road safety council exists but it is an entirely dormant organisation. This is a glaring missed opportunity. A properly functioning council could play a vital role in setting higher safety standards, coordinating enforcement and fostering accountability in the design and maintenance of our roads.

In the absence of root-and-branch thinking, we must resign ourselves to the lives of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians being cut short by avoidable accidents.

Or taking things into our own hands, as happened in San Ġwann at the start of this month.

Under cover of night, one intrepid local resident spray-painted penises – “big and small”, as an eagle-eyed Times of Malta reporter observed – around numerous dangerous potholes along the town’s busy Bellavista Road. The anonymous crusader correctly intuited that the embarrassment would compel the local council to undertake repairs, which they duly did, with help from Infrastructure Malta.

All well and good but there is only so much spray paint to go around.

Peter Leonard is public outreach officer at Rota, an active mobility promotion NGO.