A shockingly high number of speeding tickets have been issued since the start of the year.

The police said this week that it has issued 750 speeding tickets since 1 January.

Too many accidents take place on the islands, and lives have been lost thanks to speeding. Its just not worth the few minutes one can gain.

Not only does it put the driver's life in danger, but also the lives of others, innocents who might be crossing a road or driving another vehicle when a driver loses control and slams into them.

The police said that among the roads where people were caught speeding are the Coast Road, Dawret San Pawl il-Baħar and Triq Garibaldi in Marsa. It said that there were drivers were caught speeding at a velocity of between 113 km/h and 150 km/h, in zones where the maximum allowed speed is between 60 - 80 km/h. Such reckless driving is dangerous, and should result in at least the suspension of a person's license.

Abroad there are areas where one could drive at those speeds, true, but those are long highways which Malta comparably does not have. The driver might think themselves skilled, but in reality just oil on the road is all that is needed for an accident to occur. A vehicle is not a toy.

The police said that since 1 January it has carried out 500 road-checks, where thousands of vehicles were stopped and contraventions were issued tied to breaching traffic regulations. These breaches included driving under the influence, using a mobile phone while driving, driving without a valid license and people not wearing a seatbelt.

It is good news to see such enforcement on the roads. The police showing their presence will act as a deterrent, and will make those who want to speed think twice. One hopes that they will keep up this rhythm.

Driving under the influence means driving with an impairment. You might not think at the time that you are affected, but that does not mean that your reflexes aren't. A second is all it could take for a mistake to be made.

While driving, one can also notice many people using their mobile phones, another example of a reckless habit that could cause harm to the driver and to others. All one has to do is stop in a parking spot if an urgent call needs to be made. A few minutes will not make a difference.

Road accidents can happen even if a driver is doing everything right, so not increasing the chances is important.

Four people have already died from road accidents this year, lets hope the number doesn't rise any further.