One in three Maltese still have no clue what number to call in case of an emergency, according to a Eurobarometer survey published in Brussels.
Conducted by Misco last December among a sample of 755 respondents, the study showed that 31 per cent of Maltese did not know what number to dial if they needed police assistance, the fire brigade or an ambulance.
A staggering 77 per cent also had no idea know what emergency number to call if in another EU member state – which is the same number as that in Malta, 112.
Asked whether they thought the Maltese were informed enough about the 112 emergency number, the majority (54 per cent) said they were not and that the authorities should step up publicity about this important service.
The survey shows many have never seen any 112 publicity over the past 12 months.
According to the survey, only 37 per cent of Maltese said they had seen a 112 advert in the past year; 68 per cent of these saw an ad on TV, 23 mentioned heard it on the radio and 19 per cent cited newspapers.
The results of the EU-wide survey were published to coincide with 112 Day, being marked today across member states where efforts are being stepped up to raise awareness among citizens on the 112 emergency service.
On average, 47 per cent of EU respondents said that they knew about the 112 number.
To address the issue, European Commission vice presidents Siim Kallas and Neelie Kroes wrote to the main transport companies in the EU urging them to inform their passengers about the 112 emergency number.
National authorities are also being encouraged to step up their publicity efforts to raise awareness about this life-saving number.
According to police figures released last Thursday, 564,188 calls were made to the 112 number in Malta last year with the average being answered within five seconds.
Of these, 82,173 were hoax or wrong number and 158,467 were unanswered as the caller did not wait on the line.
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said Malta compared well with other member states because only 1.9 per cent of calls were left unanswered after 15 seconds.