Comment, eulogy and expressions of shock at the death of Clifford Micallef have flowed in abundance, and none seem misplaced. We are struck by horror at this latest caprice of fate.
Channelling the energy of our reaction and intense frustration, many of us have spoken or written about the need for stricter enforcement of existing traffic regulations, to create greater awareness of the permanent consequences of impulsive irresponsibility; of the need for better road surfaces and serious bike lanes.
Being alive to the fact that public focus on such issues will wane after a while, some have written of the need to do something permanent, to set up something institutional to address the many faults in the system. Perhaps something will be done. Perhaps not.
If it all remains the same, we will continue to witness a greater and greater suppression of nuisance offences (parking in a prohibited place) while potentially homicidal behaviour remains exempt.
We have heard it all about unreasonable and inflexible traffic wardens inflicting fines left right and centre (they have also rendered almost extinct the breed that parked and blocked garage exits), there can be little discussion that they are often overzealous and clearly directed and collecting fines more than securing compliance with regulations. The system is clearly wrong. So many years down the road, it should have taught us much more than it has. It should be making less money for its operators and for local councils.
Beyond all this, the elaborate and all-pervasive local warden system still fails to address the hottest issues. The chances of somebody dropping dead because you parked on double yellow lines do exist but are remote compared to the chances of killing somebody if you drive under the influence, keeping your foot to the floorboards. Suppressing the double yellow line offences is fine but eradicating high speed hooliganism is far more urgent.
What ever happened to those nice policemen on fancy motorcycles with flashing blue lights? Have they all bowed out in favour of the little people in green? Or are they retained as a ceremonial guard for visiting dignitaries?
The worst offences, the most scandalous behaviour, is committed on the move, out of reach of the wardens. Only policemen on patrol could inhibit the worst of it. Their presence should be felt and feared. Rather than having fixed stations where they can be avoided and foiled, they should keep us all guessing, get us used to being pulled over to check our licenses and insurances, make us dread being nabbed for having had a drink too much.
None of this will give us certainty that a tragedy such as the killing of Clifford Micallef will be avoided. Such tragedies will continue to strike no matter what. However making the attempt to change the Rambo culture afflicting some drivers, will certainly go a long way to reducing the incidence of such tragedies. That’s the best we can hope for but only if we do something about it.
On the other hand boasting that road fatalities have been reduced because traffic speed has been decreased to a snail’s pace across the country is not an acceptable answer. It should not be beyond the capabilities of any licensed driver to manage any tract of road at a speed above 40 kph. Bringing us all down to speeds safe for the inept and the incompetent is just not on.
Speed cameras have been the easy way out taken so far. More than a cheap solution they have become a highly lucrative solution. Unless the idea is to cover the whole country with speed cameras, this still leaves a few stretches of road where the lunatics rule. Besides, it is not just a matter of speed. Very nasty and even fatal accidents can be caused without overspeeding. What we need is to learn to drive properly and that should mean at speed if necessary but always responsibly.
Most of us already do or the accident rate would be much higher. In fact it can be argued that most of us are highly skilled defensive drivers expecting the worst of everybody else. What we need is to put the fear of God in the minority of numbskulls who behave as though they were at the dodgems. Nothing is impossible, not even decent driving in Malta.
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