Transport Malta and the Malta Road Safety Council launched a new campaign to raise awareness on the dangers riders face on the road.  

Bikers are involved in a higher percentage of serious accidents despite being much less numerous on the roads, when compared to drivers.  In 2016, only 6% of vehicles registered in Malta were motorbikes yet 40% of fatalities were riders, nine riders lost their lives. One of every three grievously injured was a rider.

Thus, Transport Malta and the Malta Road Safety Council decided to focus a campaign on riders and the interaction between riders and drivers on the road.  The aim of the campaign is two fold, it addresses riders on one side and drivers on the other.  It asks riders to be wary and be prepared for the unexpected, to wear protective clothing and not to overspeed.  The campaign addresses drivers as well.  Bikers and riders are harder to spot and are far more vulnerable.  Hence the campaign asks drivers to be on the lookout and keep their distance.

The first video of the campaign shows a rider avoiding potential accidents at the last moment.  The opening scene shows a fatal road accident and the rider is juxtaposed with a group of kids playing a Maltese traditional game, chanting, “Death is coming to get you”.  The video serves as a reminder to show how easy it is to cause a potentially serious accident, merely opening a door or swerving recklessly can prove fatal for a rider.   The second video in the series and the rest of the campaign will put further emphasis on the plight cyclists face.