Updated 11am
The increasing number of traffic fatalities is a “terrible stain” that needs to be “urgently addressed”, President George Vella said on Saturday as he called for efforts to address the issue to be stepped up.
“As a nation we need to address with mounting urgency the need to build safer roads. It is evident that efforts in the past years have not been enough to eradicate fatal accidents and much more needs to be done,” Vella said.
The president made the remarks in his opening speech during a conference on Saturday by Doctors for Road Safety, analysing the current situation and possible way forward.
Vella also said drivers’ traffic attitudes need to be addressed, especially since many of them are “long-held”.
President George Vella. Not enough has been done to tackle road deaths, he said on Saturday. Photo: DOI“We need to impart on our drivers to be part of the cultural change. It is inconceivable how in 2022 we witness an increasing disregard for road markings and signalling as well as distracting minds and selfish attitudes,” the president said.
He also pointed to widespread mobile use while driving as one of the main problems the island’s traffic system faces.
This year is on track to become the deadliest in decades, as the number of road fatalities continues to climb.
According to data supplied by the National Statistics Office, there were 21 fatalities during the first nine months of 2022, the highest since 2016.
Road Safety Council want drug tests at accident sites
Speaking later, Malta Road Safety Council head Pierre Vella echoed the president’s concerns, saying he dreaded the upcoming holiday season out of fear there will be more accidents.
“We should shift the way we talk – we need to focus on families. When a person dies, there’s a whole family left behind.
“We have to acknowledge that we have an issue that we need to address. I feel that there is a lot of work that needs to be done,” Vella said.
He also called for testing for drugs when accidents occur, saying that use of illicit substances is on the rise and yet the data on this still lacks.
“We need to act now,” he said.