Whatsapp

During the third quarter of 2023, road traffic accidents increased while casualties decreased when compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Road traffic fatalities amounted to one.

The number of reported traffic accidents during the third quarter of 2023 reached 4,351, up by 7.1 per cent over the same period in 2022. The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents with 1,514 cases or 34.8 per cent of all accidents.

Road traffic casualties decreased by 4.9 per cent to 427 over the same period in 2022. Grievously injured persons amounted to 115, and consisted of 66 drivers, 16 passengers and 33 pedestrians/cyclists/others. The injuries suffered by one driver proved fatal. During this quarter, five less fatalities occurred when compared to the same period in 2022.

The majority of those grievously injured were males (77.4 per cent). Moreover, the fatality that occurred during this quarter involved a male. As regard to age cohorts, the highest amount of casualties involved persons in the 26 to 40 years age bracket (37.2 per cent). 

The largest number of road traffic casualties (52.7 per cent) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (36.8 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (5.2 per cent). The fatal accident included a vehicle colliding with another vehicle killing the driver. Cyclists involved in traffic accidents amounted to eight, where two suffered grevious injuries, five suffered slight injuries and one suffered insignificant injuries. Road traffic casualties resulting from accidents between vehicles topped the list with 67.2 per cent of all road traffic casualties.

The highest number of road traffic casualties occurred on Fridays with 72 casualties, and the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Mondays with 692 cases or 15.9 per cent of the total. The time bracket during which most road traffic accidents occurred was between 09:00 – 11:59 with 1,002 cases or 23.0 per cent of the total, followed by the 15:00 – 17:59 time bracket with 914 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 – 05:59 with 63 cases. 

The highest incidence of road traffic accidents was registered in San Pawl il-Baħar with 254 cases, followed by Birkirkara and Ħal Qormi, with 248 and 245 cases respectively.

Ta’ Kerċem, il-Fontana and San Lawrenz registered less than five road traffic accidents.

All districts recorded an increase in road traffic accidents except for the Western district, which recorded a slight decrease, when compared to the third quarter of the previous year. The Southern Harbour district registered the highest percentage increase in road traffic accidents at 11.6 per cent, followed by the Northern Harbour district at 9.1 per cent.

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY NSO

FOLLOW THE UPDATES ON NSO