Enforcement and road safety – Adrian Galea

ENFORCEMENT AND ROAD SAFETY - ADRIAN GALEA

Now that the festive season is over, it appears to have been another period of relative calm on our roads during which thankfully no fatalities or serious injuries were recorded.

As a representative of the Insurance Association which is an active member of the Road Safety Council, I cannot but commend and thank the police, Local Enforcement System Agency (Lesa) and Transport Malta for their efforts in promoting road safety and safeguarding people’s lives at such a busy time of the year.

Zero fatalities should not just be a prerogative for our festive seasons, but together, we should place whatever resources are needed to ensure that such an objective is continuously reached.

An extension of the ‘points system’ to apply to all drivers was introduced just over a month ago, and initial statistics have now been published.

The association I represent had lobbied in favour of this extension since as far back as August 2016, as we believed that our roads need a strong deterrent against abusive driving.

The initial criticism that it attracted focused on the timing of its implementation, but is there any better time when this could be implemented? Measures aimed at enhancing road safety and discipline on our roads must surely rise above the needs of the business community and any commercial activity.

Driving for a living should, if anything, prove that one is experienced enough to set the right example. One could also argue that, stronger penalties should be applied in the case of experienced drivers who blatantly abuse of the rules. Those of us who drive abroad know all too well that irrespective of the vehicle driven, rules need to be observed and might is definitely not right.

As reported on the Times of Malta on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, by Adrian Galea, Director General, Malta Insurance Association

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