Traffic accidents decrease, but fatalities rise
The number of traffic accidents decreased in the third quarter of this year when compared to the same period last year, but there were nine fatalities, the NSO said this morning.
The number of reported traffic accidents reached 3,419, a decrease of 379 cases over the corresponding quarter last year. Drops were recorded in all districts, the highest percentage decrease occurring in the South Eastern district (18.9 per cent).
The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents: 1,257 cases, or 36.8 per cent of the total.
In the period under review, 300 traffic casualties were reported. Of these, 175 drivers sustained injuries, of which 34 were grievous.
Five drivers, three passengers and a pedestrian were killed in traffic accidents. There were six fatalities int he third quarter of last year.
During this period, 29 other persons (13 passengers and 16 pedestrians) suffered grievous injuries, while 92 (73 passengers and 19 pedestrians) were slightly injured.
The majority of casualties were in the 25-39 age group. 73.7 per cent of casualties were caused by passenger cars while 16.0 per cent were caused by motorcycles.
The highest traffic casualty rate occurred on Sundays, accounting for a fifth of total casualties. The highest accident rate was recorded on Wednesdays, totalling 547 cases, and the lowest was recorded on Sundays, with 359 cases. However, Sundays topped the highest casualty-to-accident ratios.
Most accidents occurred between 9 am and noon, with 757 cases, or 22.1 percent of the total.
St. Paul's Bay registered the highest rate of traffic accidents, with 206 cases. Birkirkara and Marsa were next, with 188 and 185 reported accidents respectively.
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m.seager
Oct 27th 2009, 23:24
@anyone WHO INSISTS THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING CALLED ""OVER SPEEDING""
IT IS EITHER SPEEDING I.E BREAKING THE SPEED LIMIT or it just isn't I.E not speeding......
Paul Bonnici
Oct 27th 2009, 16:25
@ Ray Mangion, of course your qualifications and expertise were an embarrassment to your co-workers. Your ability made lazy and incompetent people look bad.
In Malta people drive like they have 7 lives and 10 cars to lose!
The drivers' mentality needs to change, these can be done by publicity on TV.
daniel zammit
Oct 27th 2009, 16:10
It is amazing how the number of people you see driving and responding mobile phones at the same time .These surely contribute to the number of accidents on our roads and the authorities should clamp down on these culprits and they should be given hefty fines and have there licenses revoked.God forbid if!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ray Mangion
Oct 27th 2009, 14:54
@ walter Camilleri
In a nutshell? Because they don`t know how to apply proper international rules which ADT based on DSA in the UK and they themselves break them to suit themselves. The problem lies in who is at the top and before they are removed, including the Consultant who should have retired many years ago, the situation can only get worse.
Ray Mangion
Oct 27th 2009, 14:36
@ Paul Barrett
My sentiments exactly and thank you Mr Barrett for supporting what I have been saying all along. Having been employed by ADT as a Driving Examiner but I thank God that I`m got my qualification from the DSA in the UK , I know what I said; It was first hand experience and ADT does not like outsiders telling them what to do; they go through the motions and poo poo all the professional advice given to them. That is why I and another four British examiners left, because we could not stand being part of an incompetent team.
walter camilleri
Oct 27th 2009, 13:08
everybody knows driving standards are terrible - but why is there no effort by ADT, Traffic police and wardens to improve things?
Mobile traffic patrols could perhaps control drink driving, overspeeding, lack of lane discipline, loitering at 20 mph with right hand wheels as near as possible to the centreline of the road, non-existent direction signalling by drivers, double parking, diesel smoke,- you name it, it's common in Malta. But it does not happen - why?
Paul Barrett
Oct 27th 2009, 12:42
It is the law of the jungle out there.
Optional: Stopping at stop signs, traffic lights, giving away to traffic on the right, double parking, indicators, in fact any obedience to the Highway Code.
Missing: Decent quality, long lasting White paint for road markings. Road signs not only of the right size but in the right place.
In general a lack of any concentration by drivers and a total lack of understanding or knowledge of the "two second rule" when keeping distance from the car in front.
Ray Mangion
Oct 27th 2009, 12:00
Statistics give one a good reason to open our eyes and see why so many accidents; so many deaths? It has been said a million times but ADT has a lot to answer for. Bad road surfaces, bad speed limits, bad road marking, bad street furniture and the worst of all they still have no clue how to train examiners. It still allows and passes new driving instructors to go out and teach prospective licence holders of the future. Tuition leaves much to be desired and ADT is supposedly training examiners to test these people. Not all driving instructors are bad; some have good knowledge and when I tested these few, they listened and learned, but as for three quarters of driving instructors, I would not even pass them for a driving licence, let alone to teach driving. That is why the NSO results show such high accident and fatality percentages. Its no good saying that accidents have decreased; the percentage is still unacceptable for an island so small. If action is not taken seriously, then we keep losing our loved ones, whether or not through inexperience, selfishness or showing off.