Malta, Cyprus and the UK are the three European countries where vehicles are driven on the left.
If you intend to holiday in Malta and hire a car, this Guide indicates how you can try to avoid being transported home on a stretcher.
Malta is an island about 20 miles long and 11 miles wide in which, on average, there are 1000 road crashes each month. That’s an average of 68 each day or something like 3.2 per square mile EACH DAY. Most are low speed impacts but there are exceptions. Below are some pointers in no order of importance and in no particular order.
Speed:
The speed limit is indicated on road signs and ranges from around 25 to 70 km/hour, although most Maltese only slow down for the few speed cameras. It appears that most Maltese are obsessed by the desire to travel from A to B in the shortest space of time ignoring everyone else. The other ‘breed’ comprises those who drive at a maximum speed of 15 to 20 miles/hour no matter what, and there is nothing much in the ‘middle’.
I am constantly amazed that Fiat 127s, Peugeot 106s and Pandas can go so fast. As for SUVs like the Cayenne, they belong on a race track. I think that here in Malta, they are driven to their mechanical limits and then some.
Overtaking:
No matter how fast one is driving, very many will overtake come what may. It is not that some Maltese are inherently brave or inherently stupid when overtaking at blind bends, into the face of oncoming traffic, near the brow of a hill, on double white lines or anywhere else that any reasonable person would decide overtaking there is far too risky, it is that they have not been taught to think about it.
Someone was telling me about her driving lessons. The instructor told her, “never mind anyone else, drive where you want to go. They will get out of your way.” That was during the first lesson.
If you normally drive (badly) leaving a braking distance of only one and a quarter car lengths, be prepared to be overtaken with the overtaking car filling your braking distance, slamming on his brakes and turning left without signalling.
I have been overtaken on an ordinary two-carriage road whilst the overtaking car was being overtaken. Wait on, that second car was also being overtaken with the third one nearly in the bushes on the opposite side of the road doing around 80 mph. I took my foot off the gas peddle and let them get on with it. The road was the one leading to Zurrieq (now being entirely relaid) and was notorious for its unevenness, holes, potholes and broken surface. Hold on, not finished yet. It was monsooning and my wipers on fast setting could barely cope at 30 mph.
Roundabouts:
Some Maltese will approach a roundabout on the offside and then take the first exit on the left, cutting across the nearside traffic at speed. Overtaking on a roundabout is common because most Maltese will overtake anywhere. The one on the nearside will drift to the offside and the result will be a side to side impact.
Roundabouts are mostly give way to traffic from the right but a few are give way to the left. Even so, the give way is clearly marked unless the paint has been worn down to nothing. Most Maltese drivers intentionally do not give way and engage in a ‘war of nerves’ with other drivers. I think that it’s a testosterone thing with them and if he forces you to stop, others behind him will force their way out and block you whilst those behind you are frantically honking.
Indicators:
Driving in Malta is a guessing game because only about 15 per cent of drivers use indicators, and then, not all the time. Some remain unsure whether the indicator arm goes up or down.
Hogging:
Most will hog the overtaking lane on dual carriageway, usually at 20 to 30 mph in a 50 mph speed limit zone. That means others regularly overtake on the nearside. When the ‘hog’ decides to turn left from the offside, that will be done without indicating and very suddenly. Mirrors are used only to comb your hair.
Lane Discipline:
There is little observational evidence that drivers are aware of the white lane lines. Wandering from lane to lane is common because quite frequently, that driver is shouting down his or her mobile phone, driving with one or no hands on the wheel.
The guy behind you in his 1997 2 litre BMW 3 series with some panels covered in primer, is likely to drive in an overtaking position without overtaking, that is, down the centre line. Very likely, he will refrain from overtaking until it is exceedingly unsafe.
Drunken Driving:
Yes, a lot, especially during religious festas. Watch yourself on Saturday nights especially around Paceville.
Roads:
Since joining the EC, roads are being improved but at the worst, a lot of main roads still have potholes, and are uneven with broken surfaces. At best, many are on a par with decent UK roads. The secondary roads are a nightmare (English B roads). They have deep potholes that will wreck your suspension for example, the road from Qrendi (Rendee) to Siggiewi (Se- ji-wee).
Don’t be surprised if when driving on one of these ‘nighmares’ you see ahead that there are a series of speed bumps. The mentality of it. You have to keep down to 5 to10 mph anyway. In Winter, the potholes fill with water and you cannot see them.
Quite a few places on dual carriageways have been built with an adverse camber so at speed the force acting on your car is directed to the offside (the fast lane).
Potholes on main roads are periodically filled with cold asphalt by workmen employed to do that. When it rains, the asphalt is washed away. It’s a cheap remedy that lasts a couple of weeks in the Summer and a couple of days in the Winter.
It is not uncommon to round a bend and see small boulders (from walls) in the road. Run those over and the car floor will suffer if it misses the springs, shock absorbers, hoses and the prop shaft.
Conditions:
When it rains, the water remains on the road surface, there being few places where the road itself is drained. That results in flooding, at least 1 foot deep at Msida and other places. Nevertheless, speed is kept up and the spray from cars can go up as far as 20 feet in the air. Try to avoid flooded areas during or after a heavy rainstorm because the sudden cooling of the catalytic converter by immersion in water can crush its innards. That sort of flood water takes hours to disperse because of lack of a drainage system.
When it rains in the Winter months, the downpour can be for some hours or even days and is monsoon-like.
In Winter at the Southern part of the island (Blue Grotto, Marsasxlokk, Marsascala), the wind blowing from Africa can easily get up to 60 mph and higher. I spent money on a steerable TV satellite dish and it lasted just one Winter before the motor was wrecked.
In the Summer months, the roads are shiny from oily deposits. On the first rainfall, most roads are like glass and driving on ice is a lot safer.
Malta is a very dusty island, especially when it hasn’t rained for a few days. With around 300 sunny days annually, it’s very dusty.
Friends:
When a Maltese driver stops his or her car in the middle of the road, it is usually to have a chat with someone they know who is on the pavement. Sometimes, two Maltese drivers block the entire road by stopping side to side and have a chat.
Traffic density:
This is the highest in Europe and in towns, traffic can be horrific. At very large roundabouts like the Marsa roundabout (a circumference of about a mile and a half and is more like a one way system), those who wish to take the first or second exit, ‘flash’ down the outside of the four lanes and push their way to where they want to go. Reason why there are around 400,000 cars is that the bus sytem is rubbish.
The other day, I went to pick up my car and waited 55 minutes at a bus stop on a main road (at the roundabout where Mambra used to be before the boss absconded with the unpaid VAT money) and by the time I had walked the 2 miles to where I needed to go, no bus had come along.
Stop Lines and Slip Roads:
Especially the stop lines on a side turning into a main road, they are a total waste of paint. Many Maltese will just enter the main road at speed and give no thought that there may be other traffic.
Slip roads onto dual carriageways have two lanes that go into one with painted arrows on the road to guide you towards the right, taking you to the nearside lane of the dual carriageway. Some Maltese drivers will overtake everyone at a ‘horrific’ speed on the nearside and drive in the lane with painted closed off road markings and if you are at the front of the queue, to avoid a side to side collision, you will be forced into the offside lane and into fast moving traffic.
Police:
After a crash, vehicles must not be moved until the police have taken details. The standard of driving of those in police cars is not much better than the rest of the driving population. Motor cycle police riders enjoy sitting on their bikes at large roundabouts looking at the sky.
Good Drivers:
Few and far between. Those who have some standards are those who have driven in Europe and do not suffer from ‘island mentality’ as much as the rest.
Pedestrians:
A lot walk in the road, even with babies in prams, because the pavements are so uneven and broken. Walking in the road is safer than getting a broken ankle. They walk like others drive - everywhere.
Zebra Crossing and Traffic Lights:
Few Maltese will stop for pedestrains on crossings and if you are walking across a side turning, you will be honked by a driver turning into that side road. In honking language, it says that you got to jump out of his way. Many jump traffic lights so remember not to do a fast standing start when your light turns green because there will be others who have crossed on their red light.
Doors.
Be prepared for car doors opening suddenly, especially in narrow streets. Looking in the door mirror and waiting a few seconds might be against the religion, I don’t know.
Attitude:
Most Maltese smile or even laugh when one attempts to discuss driving standards. Certainly, the Courts do not take these things seriously. My attitude is go visit those in hospital and laugh at them.
One thing I fail to understand. The Maltese are largely kind, friendly and family oriented people who will help you. Like some other countries bordering the Med., make a friend and he is a friend for life. Make an enemy of a Maltese and he is your enemy forever. Yet behind the wheel of a car, the average driver undergoes a severe change in personality, much more than those in the USA and the UK.
Driving Test:
The test has got a bit tougher - so everyone is told.
All in All:
I think it is still true to say that the average Maltese driver was never taught to drive properly by an instructor who was never taught to drive properly and tested by someone who was never taught to drive properly with police never taught to drive properly not enforcing driving laws and the Courts taking a super-lenient approach because Magistrates and Judges were never taught to drive properly.
Taxi Drivers:
Taxis are usually white and have the letter ‘Y’ as the end letter of the three letters on the number plate. When with passengers, taxi drivers are fairly OK but when returning empty to the airport, just don’t try to take them on because the way they drive is dangerously lethal by everyday Maltese driving standards.
Night Driving:
The VRT is the equivalent of the UK MOT. Most headlights are either not kept adjusted or the driver does not know what the blue light on the dash means, or if he does, he doesn’t care.
Bus Drivers, Heavy Lorries and Van Deliveries:
Bus drivers will pull into the centre of the road from a bus stop with no signal and even if you are overtaking them. So what! They have a job to do and so do van drivers some of whom are not far from the standards of taxi drivers. HGV drivers assume that they have priority everywhere based on vehicle size.
Parking:
This is a problem in most places but especially so in Sliema and Valletta. Most are careful when they park but a lot will do it ‘with their eyes shut’. Some really don’t care and will double or even triple park (in the Strand at Sliema) blocking half the road. Hazard warning lights are their ‘permission’.
Courtesy and Thoughtfulness:
Never expect a thank you if you let anyone out of a side turning when in a traffic jam. If you are, say pulling out of a petrol station to turn right, expect drivers to block you. When the traffic queue moves forwards, another will block you even though for the next 2 minutes he is going nowhere.
ic.
I’d love to be able to get loaded down there. Anyone on here do it/done it?
