There are far too many road accidents taking place in the country. Nearly each day the news emerges of an accident that leaves someone injured.

Some of these result in loss of life. The most recent victim was a 31-year-old Eritrean who was hit by a car on 4 April.

In 2021, there were 14,135 traffic accidents across Malta and Gozo. This is higher than 2020, which saw 11,950 accidents, but still below 2019, when there were 15,829 accidents. One must keep in mind that in 2020 Covid hit, many foreign workers left and people stayed inside. Things improved in 2021, but the country was still not back to pre-Covid activity. This year, so far, we seem to be returning to normal, which means we might see higher accident numbers than 2021.

Of the 2021 accidents, 1,275 resulted in injuries.

This newsroom has written about road safety before, and it is a problem in Malta. Cars speeding or driving recklessly, bikes swerving between cars, drivers not really caring about others and the might is right attitude… these are all problems.

Driving etiquette in Malta is something that we need to start drumming into our collective brains.

We need to start by better educating young drivers, those getting their license. We need a culture change in the way we drive, the way we view road safety. We need far more educational campaigns aimed, not just at new drivers, but those who have been driving for years and are now so used to their bad habits that they don’t realise they are doing anything wrong.

People are too preoccupied with speeding to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Realistically speaking, in a country as small as Malta, speeding isn’t going to help you arrive much quicker than driving at normal speeds. But speeding is not the only problem. People on mobile phones while driving, cars cutting out of side roads catching oncoming traffic by surprise… these are all factors that can lead to accidents.

At the same time, we have seen an increase in motorcycles and scooters on the roads. Drivers need to be more careful and be aware of them. Also, these motorbike and scooter riders need to drive carefully and not swerve in between traffic.

As soon as people complete their driving course and get their license, they seem to forget all they have learnt and adopt a Maltese driving style. This is a problem.

We need more surveillance on the roads to ensure that those driving carelessly are caught.

One other factor that must be mentioned is road design. Some Maltese roads have hazardous situations, such as traffic lights that haven’t worked for months, roundabouts coming out of nowhere in a curve catching motorists driving on those roads for the first time by surprise.

Then there are some areas where pedestrians cross haphazardly, such as in Hamrun or San Gwann.

We must all remember that our actions could result in injury. Injury not only to ourselves, but also to others. If you cause an accident and injure someone, an investigation will take place. Aside from emotional trauma and financial impacts, criminal proceedings could also be taken.

We need stricter enforcement on our roads, but more than that, we need to better train drivers. Respect other drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians. Don’t speed. Don’t use your mobile phone while driving. Pay attention on the road. Don’t drive tired. Don’t drive under the influence. Look both ways before pulling out of a side-road. Don’t park on a curb blocking the view of a side-road. These are just some of the basics we should all be adhering to.