It has only been about a week since this newspaper published a leading article on the worrying statistics which were issued regarding traffic related fatalities.

The National Statistics Office stated that there were six fatalities in the first quarter of this year – down 2.9 per cent from Q1 figures in 2009. We mentioned that while any reduction was positive, six deaths resulting from road related incidents in three months were still too many.

Yet despite the repeated warnings and the repeated deaths on our roads, we never seem to learn. On Wednesday night, one person died and three were injured – two critically – after separate incidents.

By far the worst is the case of two girls, 11-year-old twins, who were run over by a van in Attard. They were on a zebra crossing and a car had stopped to let them cross. A van came from the other end of the road and mowed them down. Both were slammed into the car which had stopped to let them pass. One of the girls is in a critical condition, while the other suffered breaks and fractures. We extend all support and sympathy to their parents and family. They were crossing the road as they should have – on a crossing. The driver of the Ford Transit van has not yet been tracked down. That person should do the right thing and turn themselves in to the police. One can perhaps understand shock and fear – but it is time to do the right thing and own up and atone for what has been done.

In another incident, two motorcyclists seem to have collided on the St Paul’s Bay bypass. A 35-year-old is dead as a result. There have been reports that bikers and ‘boy-racers’ like to use this road as a race venue, and while it is too early to reach any conclusions about the collision, one would have to say that a crash involving two motorcycles is not something that you see every day.

It is clear that we have a problem – and quite a large one at that. While collisions between vehicles are a regular occurrence in any country around the world, people getting mown down on crossings is not acceptable at all. We have already seen a similar incident earlier this year where a woman was knocked over as she crossed the road on a crossing in St Paul’s Bay.

While the government (or any other authority) can not be held responsible for these incidents – it is very clear that something needs to be done. But at present, it seems that not much at all is being done.

There needs to be a radical overhaul in our driving penalty system. We really need an effective points system where you actually lose your licence and incur a very heavy fine if you keep racking up offences because this simply cannot go on.

The classical speed camera trap has proved ineffective. Many motorists belt along at very high speed, slow down as they approach the camera and then put their foot down as soon as they are out of camera range.

We appeal for something to be done. Even a shock tactic advertising campaign would help and this is something which we mentioned in last week’s leading article. We cannot go on having a situation where people drive like maniacs, oblivious to the fact that they are ‘in control’ of a lethal weapon and literally kill people in the blink of an eye. There will always be accidents. That is part and parcel of life. There will always be fatalities. But futile loss of life is not something we should accept.