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2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 FEBRUARY 2025 NEWS KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt ON Monday, Malta woke up to another road fatality, as 24-year-old Christ Gatt from Mtarfa was identified as the fourth road death of 2025. His tragic death has sparked ongoing debate about road safety in Malta and whether authorities are doing enough to prevent fatal traffic accidents. Gatt's death followed shortly after Alejandro Brincat's fatal accident in Triq l-Mdina, Attard. Footage circulating in private chat groups showed Brincat driving at high speed before losing control of his vehicle. Meanwhile, shortly after Gatt's fatal ac- cident made headlines, reports emerged claiming he had been racing others be- fore crashing into a road barrier. But what drives people, particularly young men, to seek the thrill of driv- ing fast? Psychologist Roberta Farrugia Debono believes it is a mix of biological, psychological, and societal factors. "When we look at these kinds of acci- dents, we ask ourselves: How did they not think this could happen? It's exactly that. It's a behaviour we see across all ag- es, from adolescents to adults. But due to the brain's development, that kind of thinking is amplified in young people," she explained. She elaborated that, at adolescence, the prefrontal cortex in humans is still developing. One of the last parts of the brain to mature, the prefrontal cortex is considered the "personality centre" and is the area responsible for making peo- ple uniquely human. It is where people process moment-to-moment input from their surroundings, compare it to past experiences, and react accordingly. At the same time, Farrugia Debono noted that the brain's limbic system, responsible for emotions, pleasure, and thrill-seeking, is working on overdrive in adolescents. However, the psychologist explained that the factors involved are not only bi- ological and psychological but also soci- etal. "At that age, you're also trying to de- fine who you are, and peer pressure from those around you influences you," she said. "Self-esteem plays a big part in this." She added that such behaviour is more prevalent in men due to the male brain's need for higher doses of dopamine and the added levels of testosterone. When you group all these influences to- gether under the societal expectations of being "a man", it's no surprise that some seek out these activities, she explained. "When you put this cocktail of emo- tions behind a steering wheel, winning a street race makes you feel like a bigger man," Farrugia Debono said. She also pointed out that this behav- iour has been observed since the begin- ning of time. "It's been like this for ages. You on- ly need to look at the ġostra and horse racing – that's the spirit behind these sports," she said. "What's different now is that instead of racing horses, people are racing cars. And when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong." Limiting engine size: A possible solution? Another pattern emerging in the ma- jority of fatal accidents involving young people is the use of high-powered per- formance vehicles. Christ Gatt was driv- ing a BMW 1 Series, while Alejandro Brincat was driving a Mercedes saloon. MaltaToday also reached out to the Malta Insurance Association to un- derstand whether limiting engine sizes could help prevent fatal accidents. "Government could consider what has been done in other countries, such as Portugal, where new drivers (in their first three years) must drive vehicles with a power-to-weight ratio below 0.08 kW/kg, or Italy, where drivers under 21, or those holding a newly issued B licence, cannot drive cars with engine power ex- ceeding 70 kW (95 hp) or a power-to- weight ratio exceeding 55 kW per ton," Adrian J. Galea, Director General of the association said. He explained that insurers have raised concerns over car engines being modi- fied, tweaked, or even replaced to increase a vehicle's power and performance. "This is often carried out by enthusiasts, rath- er than professionals, and the vehicle is likely not designed to handle the addi- tional weight and speed; for example, the braking system may not be adequate." He also stated that it is unclear whether the vehicle roadworthiness test is suf- ficient to identify these potential risks and ensure the modified vehicle meets the required safety standards, suggesting that additional measures may be neces- sary. "While policyholders are legally re- quired to disclose if a vehicle has been modified in any way, and failure to do so renders the cover provided by the poli- cy invalid, insurers report that cases of non-disclosure of such modifications are very common," Galea said. Asked whether insurance premiums reflect the risks associated with higher engine sizes, he confirmed that engine power is indeed one of the principal fac- tors used by motor insurers when set- ting rates, whether based on engine size (cubic capacity), output in kW, or brake horsepower (BHP). The need for speed: What makes people After another traffic fatality on Monday, psychologist Roberta Farrugia Debono speaks to MaltaToday about what studies reveal about people's need for speed • Insurance association head discusses the need to limit engine power for young drivers Adrian Galea and Roberta Farrugia Debono