The death of a family man is always a tragedy. But when that family man is a person who does much for charity and dedicates his time to promoting sport, then the tragedy is bigger.

Clifford Micallef, 45, a husband and a father of three was killed as he trained for this year’s LifeCycle event. The trek was to take him from Istanbul to Damascus and it is due to take place next week. The proceeds of the marathon are to go to the Renal Unit.

This newspaper takes the opportunity to pass condolences to the Micallef family, Clifford was a man with a very big heart.

His charitable deeds continued after his death and it is some measure of justice that at least one of his corneas will be donated to a recipient. Unfortunately, other organs could not be donated given the circumstances of his death. At least, a small part of Clifford will live on in the spirit of charity he always tried to foster.

Clifford’s son has gone on the record in saying that he hopes his father’s death was not in vain. Indeed, the LifeCycle team said that during training, no less than three of them suffered injuries of some sort or another while training.

It is very clear. Something needs to be done.

We cannot have a knee-jerk reaction and point to the road surfaces alone. Yes, they are a contributing factor to the dangers of cycling in Malta, but one cannot simply point the finger at the government. There is much more to it.

Perhaps the first issue which needs urgent attention is the ridiculous standards of driving that some people are allowed to get away with. You do not have to be a traffic expert to say that a good portion of Maltese drivers are appalling risk takers, have no discipline and disregard the rules. Before anyone decides to say that this is going overboard, we remind people of driving behaviour on the Coast Road itself, cars overtaking trucks, cars speeding round blind corners on the opposite carriageway, a convoy of cars jamming their brakes on at the speed cameras then dropping to low gear and racing up the hill.

It’s more like stock car racing than ordinary traffic.

Many people will be screaming for reform (as we always do in Malta after a tragedy), but they will have to realise that whatever reform comes about, it will have to be linked to stricter policing of the roads.

Let’s face it, at this point in time, not many Maltese motorists can self-regulate and the answer will have to be stricter controls by the police and wardens. We will also say that roads need a good surface. Cars swerving this way and that to avoid craters does not help increase safety on our roads and there are some really bad examples all over the place.

Also, while no way implying that Mr Micallef did not have the right safety gear, cyclists also have a responsibility. They should wear reflective fluorescent jackets and their machines should also have the necessary reflectors and lights. A helmet would seem obvious, but some do not bother.

Sadly, it had to be a man who was cycling for charity. Sadly again, it had to be a man who took all the necessary precautions and who was ‘religious’ about safety in cycling.

Clifford will be sorely missed. We also know he was meant to be bike mechanic on the upcoming trek. If there are any second thoughts, we urge LifeCycle to be brave and to go ahead with their trip. If there are any doubts, dispel them and keep going. It’s what Clifford would have wanted and it’s what he deserves. Rest easy Clifford.The death of a family man is always a tragedy. But when that family man is a person who does much for charity and dedicates his time to promoting sport, then the tragedy is bigger.

Clifford Micallef, 45, a husband and a father of three was killed as he trained for this year’s LifeCycle event. The trek was to take him from Istanbul to Damascus and it is due to take place next week. The proceeds of the marathon are to go to the Renal Unit.

This newspaper takes the opportunity to pass condolences to the Micallef family, Clifford was a man with a very big heart.

His charitable deeds continued after his death and it is some measure of justice that at least one of his corneas will be donated to a recipient. Unfortunately, other organs could not be donated given the circumstances of his death. At least, a small part of Clifford will live on in the spirit of charity he always tried to foster.

Clifford’s son has gone on the record in saying that he hopes his father’s death was not in vain. Indeed, the LifeCycle team said that during training, no less than three of them suffered injuries of some sort or another while training.

It is very clear. Something needs to be done.

We cannot have a knee-jerk reaction and point to the road surfaces alone. Yes, they are a contributing factor to the dangers of cycling in Malta, but one cannot simply point the finger at the government. There is much more to it.

Perhaps the first issue which needs urgent attention is the ridiculous standards of driving that some people are allowed to get away with. You do not have to be a traffic expert to say that a good portion of Maltese drivers are appalling risk takers, have no discipline and disregard the rules. Before anyone decides to say that this is going overboard, we remind people of driving behaviour on the Coast Road itself, cars overtaking trucks, cars speeding round blind corners on the opposite carriageway, a convoy of cars jamming their brakes on at the speed cameras then dropping to low gear and racing up the hill.

It’s more like stock car racing than ordinary traffic.

Many people will be screaming for reform (as we always do in Malta after a tragedy), but they will have to realise that whatever reform comes about, it will have to be linked to stricter policing of the roads.

Let’s face it, at this point in time, not many Maltese motorists can self-regulate and the answer will have to be stricter controls by the police and wardens. We will also say that roads need a good surface. Cars swerving this way and that to avoid craters does not help increase safety on our roads and there are some really bad examples all over the place.

Also, while no way implying that Mr Micallef did not have the right safety gear, cyclists also have a responsibility. They should wear reflective fluorescent jackets and their machines should also have the necessary reflectors and lights. A helmet would seem obvious, but some do not bother.

Sadly, it had to be a man who was cycling for charity. Sadly again, it had to be a man who took all the necessary precautions and who was ‘religious’ about safety in cycling.

Clifford will be sorely missed. We also know he was meant to be bike mechanic on the upcoming trek. If there are any second thoughts, we urge LifeCycle to be brave and to go ahead with their trip. If there are any doubts, dispel them and keep going. It’s what Clifford would have wanted and it’s what he deserves. Rest easy Clifford.