VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government is reviewing penalties for drink and drug driving, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced during a radio interview, following a spate of fatal crashes linked to intoxicated motorists.
“There is an ongoing exercise to determine if the penalties are sufficient. If you ask me, I think there should be a serious revision,” Abela said. He stressed that offenders would face “serious penalties” and be convicted under the full weight of the law.
The announcement comes after several high-profile accidents. On July 27, 62-year-old mother of four was killed in Valletta when a car struck her; the driver, was allegedly five times over the limit. Less than two weeks later, Wolt courier died in a hit-and-run crash involving a 17-year-old who was also reportedly above the limit.
Last Thursday, a motorist four times over the legal alcohol limit crashed head-on into a bus in Sliema, though no lives were lost. Doctors, the Insurance Association Malta, and the Association of Catering Establishments have all urged tougher penalties and random roadside testing. Magistrate Joe Mifsud has also called for mandatory alcohol and drug checks following a fatal motorcycle crash linked to cocaine use.
The Nationalist Opposition has pledged to table a private member’s bill pushing for zero tolerance in such cases. Abela said that alongside new laws, enforcement will be stepped up with more police, Transport Malta, and LESA patrols. Public awareness campaigns, he added, will be key in deterring dangerous driving.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
