Sharp drop in traffic fatalities

There was one traffic fatality - involving a pedestrian -  in the first quarter this year, the National Statistics Office said. That contrasts with six between January and March last year.

The NSO said 3,294 traffic accidents were reported, at par with the corresponding quarter last year.

Slight drops were recorded in the south eastern and northern harbour districts.

The western district registered the highest percentage increase in traffic accidents (16.3 per cent).

In the period under review, 301 traffic casualties were reported, 189 of which involved drivers.

Among this group, there were 167 injuries which were slight and the other 22 were grievous. During this period, seven passengers and 13 pedestrians suffered grievous injuries, while 64 passengers and 27 pedestrians were slightly injured.

Furthermore, the injuries suffered by one pedestrian proved fatal.

On a gender basis, slightly-injured persons in the first quarter this year numbered 258: 152 males and 106 females. Grievously-injured persons totalled 42, the majority being males.

The single fatality recorded in the period under review involved a male. The majority of casualties were aged 60 and over.

A total 77.7 per cent of traffic casualties were caused by passenger cars, followed by motorcycles at 13 per cent. Eight per cent were caused by goods-carrying vehicles.

In the first quarter of 2011, the highest traffic casualty rate occurred on Thursdays, accounting for 20.3 per cent of total casualties. The highest accident rate was recorded on Wednesdays, totalling 555 cases, and the lowest was recorded on Sundays, with 365 cases. Thursdays topped the highest casualty-to-accidents ratio.

The daily time bracket in which most accidents occurred was between 9 and 11.59 a.m (21 per cent). This is followed by the 3 – 5.59 p.m. time bracket. The lowest number of accidents occurring daily took place between 3 and 5.59 a.m.

In the first quarter this year, Birkirkara registered the highest rate of traffic accidents, with 222 cases; Qormi and Marsa followed, with 192 and 184 reported accidents, respectively.