Five traffic fatalities in the first quarter of this year

An NSO report shows that in the first quarter of this year, reported traffic accidents reached 3,244, a decrease of 4.6 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

Decreases were recorded in most districts, except in the Southern Harbour with an increase of 8.5 per cent. The Northern Harbour district registered most accidents - 1,206 cases, or 37.2 per cent of the total

In the period under review, 379 traffic casualties were reported, of which 216 involved drivers. There were three fatalities among drivers: 180 injuries were slight and another 33 were reported as grievous. During the period under review, 44 other persons (12 passengers and 32 pedestrians) suffered grievous injuries, while 117 (77 passengers and 40 pedestrians) were slightly injured. Furthermore, the injuries suffered by two pedestrians proved fatal.

On a gender basis, slightly-injured persons in the first quarter this year numbered 297: 165 males and 132 females. Grievously-injured persons totalled 77, the majority being males. The five fatalities in the quarter under review comprised four males. The majority of casualties fell in the 26-40 age bracket.

77.0 per cent of traffic casualties were caused by passenger cars, followed by motorcycles at 12.1 per cent, while 6.9 per cent were caused by goods-carrying vehicles.

In the first quarter, the highest traffic casualty rate occurred on Sundays, accounting for 19.5 per cent of total casualties. The highest accident rate was recorded on Fridays, totalling 540 cases, and the lowest was recorded on Sundays, with 329 cases. Sundays topped the casualty-to-accidents ratio.

The daily time bracket in which most accidents occur is between 09:00 and 11:59, with 712 cases, or 21.9 per cent of the total. This was followed by the 12:00-14:59 time bracket, with 676 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 and 05:59 (81 cases), with 60 per cent of accidents in this time time zone occuring on Saturdays and Sundays.

Birkirkara registered the highest rate of traffic accidents, with 220 cases. Marsa and Ħal Qormi were next, with 183 and 172 reported accidents respectively.