Apart from the confusion which has reigned because of the introduction of the new public transport system, our traffic problems continue to be exacerbated by the mayhem caused by reckless driving as well as careless pedestrians.

Generally speaking, the driving skills of the Maltese are never anything to boast about at the best of times, but in the oppressive heat of summer, when tempers are frayed and patience is inexistent, our roads turn into a virtual free-for-all.

The lack of etiquette can be seen from all sides: From the angry driver stuck behind a badly-parked car, to the people crossing the roads at every point except at a proper zebra crossing. Some parents appear out of nowhere, pushing their child in a pram onto oncoming traffic from between two parked cars to the surprise of drivers who have to have their wits about them in order to slam on their brakes in time. On the other side of the coin, dutifully crossing on a zebra crossing and even on a traffic light which has turned green is no guarantee that you will make it safely to the other side either; not if you’re unlucky enough to find a speeding driver who is determined not to stop.

This general disdain for obeying traffic regulations has led to an increasing amount of accidents lately, some of which have been tragically fatal. Unfortunately, wardens and traffic police seem to be more concerned with slapping motorists with parking tickets rather than being present on our roads to slow speeding drivers down and fine them if necessary.

Cars and trucks which are double parked haphazardly while the driver pops into a shop “for five minutes” are also causing undue stress and point to a complete disregard of the law. On an island where the average family of two parents and two adult children have between them at least four cars, the attempts to persuade people to let go of their private vehicle will require a complete culture change (not to mention a fully-functioning efficient Arriva service as we were promised). Meanwhile, however, there is no reason why undisciplined behaviour on our roads needs to continue to go unchecked. The warden system was put into place ostensibly to create a better civic awareness when we drive, but when it comes to negligent driving, wardens and traffic police do not seem to be having the desired effect. Just as we are all wary of being caught not wearing a seatbelt or of being caught talking on our mobile phones when we’re driving, because we know that these are punishable offences and the fines are hefty, we should be similarly wary of not being caught driving recklessly and especially, of over-speeding.

After every traffic accident, we hear the euphemism that “the driver lost control of his vehicle”. It is about time this phrase is completely dropped from police reports. There is really only one way you can lose control of your car, and that is when you are driving much too fast.