Chamber of Advocates support random roadside testing

The Chamber of Advocates has affirmed its support for the introduction of random roadside testing to be carried out by the police force.

“Malta should bring itself in line with its European counterparts by introducing oral fluid roadside testing and by granting the police the authority to stop and test drivers at random,” the Chamber said in a statement on Tuesday.

They noted that Maltese law does not currently allow oral fluid roadside testing, a method already used in several European countries.

The statement follows a call by the leading consultant at Mater Dei Hospital, Jonathan Joslin, for the introduction of random testing after a surge in serious road accidents in recent weeks.

In the first half of 2025, 17 people have died as a result of traffic accidents. Six people lost their lives in July within a matter of days, while another five died in June.

The victims include six pedestrians, five motorcyclists, five car passengers or drivers, and one cyclist.

Earlier in August, a 45-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run involving underage drivers who were under the influence of alcohol.

“Random testing is the true deterrent in decreasing injury and death on Malta’s roads,” Joslin wrote in a Facebook post. “Only then will Malta send the strongest possible message: if you drive under the influence, you will be caught, and the consequences will be severe.”

He said that drivers must understand the risk of being caught does not depend solely on the tragic aftermath of a crash.

The Chamber of Advocates backed his call that random roadside testing is the only genuine deterrent capable of reducing fatalities and injuries on Maltese roads.