Six months into random roadside drug testing, insurers call for enforcement figures

The Insurance Association Malta (IAM) has called for greater transparency over roadside drug and alcohol testing and the reactivation of Malta’s Road Safety Council, amid concerns over enforcement and a series of serious traffic accidents.

The association said that, six months after amendments allowing random roadside drug testing came into force, the police should publish data showing how many tests have been carried out, how many returned positive results and how many resulted in prosecutions.

When the measures were introduced at the end of March, police said four drivers had tested positive in the first days, including one identified during routine road checks. At the time, the force said such testing would be carried out regularly in the following days and weeks.

IAM argued that enforcement data should now be made public on a regular basis, allowing trends to be monitored and the effectiveness of the measures to be assessed.

“We need to know how many motorists are being tested to establish whether there is any evidence that behaviour is changing,” the association said.

Road Safety Council dormant for seven months

IAM also called for the reactivation of the Road Safety Council, which it said has remained dormant for the past seven months following the resignation of its chairperson due to personal commitments.

The council was established to advise on measures aimed at improving road safety, as well as promoting awareness, best practice and policy recommendations. According to IAM, it cannot function until the Sustainable Mobility Ministry nominates a new chair.

“At a time when road safety is once again in the spotlight, the country should not be without a functioning body specifically tasked with advising on these issues,” IAM said.

The association said the council’s continued inactivity was particularly concerning as questions were being raised about the enforcement of measures already introduced to improve safety on Malta’s roads.

IAM also pointed towards the number of serious motorcycle accidents reported in recent months.

According to the association, at least 15 serious motorcycle accidents have been reported over the period, while the latest National Statistics Office figures show motorcyclists accounted for 40.7 per cent of all road casualties between April and June.

It argued that as Government continues to encourage alternative forms of transport, road safety policy needs to keep pace with changing mobility patterns.

“This means better education on safe riding, including overtaking, greater awareness among all road users of how to share the road safely with motorcyclists, cyclists and scooter users, and better road design, with segregation wherever this is feasible,” IAM said.

IAM proposes greater use of ANPR technology

The association also highlighted reports of speeding and aggressive driving, as well as recent court cases involving motorists allegedly driving without a valid licence or insurance.

It called on authorities to consider expanding the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, both at fixed locations and in police vehicles, to identify uninsured vehicles and other offences more quickly.

Rather than introducing further legislation, IAM argued that greater emphasis should be placed on consistently enforcing existing laws and publishing information that demonstrates whether enforcement measures are producing results.

“Road safety cannot be measured by legislation alone. It is enforcement that changes behaviour, and transparency that allows us to judge whether that enforcement is working,” the association said.

“Every life saved on our roads is a major success.”