Emergency doctor's heartfelt appeal: 'Help us save your life... drive carefully'

Updated at 11:51am with Malta Insurance Association statement 

Emergency doctor Michael Spiteri has appealed to motorists to take road safety seriously after the latest fatal traffic accident in Gzira on Tuesday evening.

In a heartfelt appeal on Facebook, Spiteri reflected on his work shift during which "we lost yet another motorcyclist".

"I am trying to simplify things in the hope that maybe it eventually sinks in... A human body is only able to withstand a finite amount of damage before it dies... no amount of interventions from our end will be able to save someone whose body has been subjected to a force which practically damages all his/her main vital organs... there is only one way to save these people... it is called prevention," Spiteri wrote.

The emergency doctor said that driving carefully may not prevent an accident but it would make a difference between life and "certain death."

"In the event of an accident, help us save your life.... drive carefully," Spiteri said.

The victim of the road crash has been identified as 28-year-old Andrea Alamango. He was driving a Suzuki GSXR600 motorbike when he collided with another individual who was also driving a motorcycle of the same make.

Alamango died sometime after arriving at Mater Dei Hospital, while the other individual suffered slight injuries.

Malta needs better enforcement on the roads - Malta Insurance Association

In a statement, the Malta Insurance Association said that the spike of traffic accident fatalities and injuries was a matter of grave concern. 

“This concern is exacerbated further when one considers that none of the electoral manifestos of the two main parties refers to road safety. We have to ask, does road safety stand any chance of being given the importance it deserves?” the association questioned.

The association said that Malta needed strong and effective enforcement where police clamp down on abuse, such as the use of mobile phones that distract drivers, over-speeding, drink and drug driving, and general non-observance of traffic rules, using random checks technology. 

“Above all, we need to rid ourselves of this fragmentation we have in responsibilities for all that relates to road safety; time is ripe for a serious consideration of the setting up of a singular road safety authority,” the association said.

READ MORE: Motorcyclist dies in Gzira traffic accident