Four road deaths in second quarter of 2023 as casualties drop

Four people died on Malta’s roads between April and June, two less than the same period last year, figures out today show.

The fatalities concerned two drivers and two passengers – three men and two women – the National Statistics Office said.

The four fatalities included a vehicle colliding with another vehicle killing the driver, a vehicle crashing into a property and killing the driver, a vehicle colliding with another vehicle killing the passenger and a vehicle crashing into a property killing the passenger.

The number of reported traffic accidents during the second quarter of 2023 reached 4,264, up by less than a percentage point over the same period in 2022.

The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents with 1,554 cases or 36.4% of all accidents. However, this region also encompasses several main thoroughfares and population centres.

The NSO figures show that road traffic casualties decreased by 2.4% to 444. Grievously injured persons amounted to 112, and consisted of 64 drivers, 25 passengers and 23 pedestrians, cyclists and other commuters.

The majority of those grievously injured were males (80.4%). More than a third of casualties (37.4%) involved persons aged between 26 and 40.

The largest number of road traffic casualties (54.1%) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (30.4%) and goods-carrying vehicles (4.3%).

Cyclists involved in traffic accidents amounted to four, where three suffered slight injuries and one suffered grievous injuries. Road traffic casualties resulting from accidents between vehicles topped the list with 68.7% of all road traffic casualties.

Most casualties on Friday, most accidents on Tuesday

The highest number of road traffic casualties occurred on Fridays with 74 casualties, and the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Tuesdays with 690 cases or 16.2% of the total.

The time bracket during which most road traffic accidents occurred was between noon and 2:59pm with 967 cases, followed by the 9am to 11:59am time bracket with 876 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 3am and 5:59am with 69 cases.