New transport fines are set to come into force through a Legal Notice in the coming weeks after being approved by Cabinet, the government said last week.

Among the changes, as this newsroom reported, the fine for a person found guilty of driving through a red light will increase from €100 to €200. The fine for speeding over 15 km/h over the speed limit will increase from €69.88 to €100. The use of mobile phones, earphones or over-ear headphones “in the ear facing the window and while stationary” will be increased to €200 or €300 (depending on the vehicle) from the current €100.

The points penalty system for licenses will also see some changes, as the use of mobile phone will have its parameters increased from 3-6 points to 6-9 points. Additionally, the use headphones will also see an increase from 3-6 points to 6-9 points.

Increasing fines and penalties for breaking the rules on the road is a good deterrent, and so the move by the government in this regard is a good one. Although one must question whether the fine related to speeding is really high enough. Perhaps it should be higher.

Aside from the increase in fines however, constant educational campaigns should also take place. In addition, we will need stronger enforcement. An article penned by The Times of Malta reported that a police spokesperson said that there were no plans to increase traffic enforcement when asked about the likelihood of increasing police presence on the roads. It also reported that LESA doesn’t plan to increase enforcement.

Raising fines and not enforcement just doesn’t make sense, and the agencies should take this into consideration. If anything, there should be a crackdown in order to ensure that, in the long run, people obey the rules of the road.

In response to a Parliamentary Question, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia has said that in a bid to reduce the number of accidents on Maltese roads, the Council for Road Safety will be investigating certain accident hot spots.

He said that the bend of a road or the architectural design of buildings could be investigated. Farrugia said that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure Maltese roads are safer.

This is good news. If we can identify areas which are prone to accidents, then perhaps something could be done to prevent such accidents. In some instances, this could be as simple as installing traffic cameras in areas prone to speeding motorists who put others in danger.

But most of all, reducing the danger on the roads comes down to all of us. We all need to be more vigilant on the roads. We all need to resist the urge to speed, or dangerously overtake if we are late. One mistake, or one blind spot is all it takes for tragedy to strike.

Last year saw 26 road deaths, the highest on record. 26 lives lost earlier than they should have been. It was a tragedy. We should do all we can to reduce that number in the coming years. Every life is precious.