The Highway Code is set to be updated.

This news was revealed by the senior inspector of the police traffic branch, Nicholas Vella, during an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday.

The last time the Highway Code received an update was in 2001. That's over 20 years ago. Since then, Malta has become more congested, our road infrastructure has changed, and there are new realities, such as the introduction of e-scooters as well as more two-wheeled vehicles on our roads. It has also become more chaotic driving today.

Updating our regulations in this regard isn't just the smart thing to do, it is also the responsible thing to do.

The inspector said that they were actively working on this to be updated so that drivers will be more conscious about driving safely and how to act during an accident or an emergency. "What happens when it's raining, when you need to emergency break, if you have an incident, or you lose control of the car? We're trying to include these concepts," Vella said. One hopes that the regulations will also take the aforementioned factors into consideration.

The three contributing factors that lead to accidents on our roads are distraction, alcohol and speed, Vella explained in another part of the interview. "I believe that even with hands-free there's a distraction, even more so holding the mobile in your hand."

Distractions on the road have increased, but perhaps the argument can be made that this is also because of the sheer volume of vehicles on the road and at times because of the way other drivers act. In certain areas, our eyes literally need to be looking at 7 things at once. As for speed, the widening of Malta's roads could have resulted in some people opting to speed more in certain areas.

Training our younger generations to better respect road safety is another issue. During the interview, Vella noted that he and his team were taking note of how student drivers were being taught. He added that they have been having multiple meetings with LESA and TM about laws that should be changed and what student drivers need to be exposed to when being taught how to drive.

In addition, we all can agree that driving in Malta has become more stressful with the amount of delivery drivers whizzing past on our roads, and e-scooter riders acting dangerously at times. But solving part of this problem might be done through non-traffic related legal changes.

In a separate interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Secretary General of the General Workers Union Josef Bugeja said that: "Many Maltese complain as they see platform workers running all over the place. They are doing this as many of them are paid on commission." If the way these workers are paid contributes to how some tend to drive a bit recklessly, then that is something that can be remedied through legal changes. Regulating this sector further would hopefully help ensure the safety of delivery drivers.

There are many things we can try and implement to improve the safety on our roads. We have seen 18 traffic fatalities this year. That is 18 too many.