The number of reported traffic accidents in the third quarter this year reached 3,656, down by 6.4 per cent over the comparative period in 2017, the NSO said on Tuesday.

The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents with 1,318 cases or 36.1 per cent of the total.

Road traffic casualties decreased by 7.8 per cent to 463 when compared to the same period in 2017.

51 drivers, 16 passengers, 14 pedestrians and one cyclist suffered grievous injuries. A motorcyclist, a pillion rider and a  pedestrian were killed.

The total number of road traffic fatalities during the first nine months amounted to 16, almost at par when compared to the same period in 2017.

The majority of casualties fell in the 26 to 40 age bracket. The largest number of road traffic casualties (58.5 per cent) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (32.0 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (5.6 per cent).

11 cyclists were hit by passenger cars during the quarter, one of whom suffered grievous injuries while the rest suffered slight injuries. Another cyclist was hit by a goods-carrying vehicle and suffered slight injuries.

The highest road traffic casualty rate occurred on Fridays, accounting for 21.4 per cent of total casualties; while the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Wednesdays with 16.3 per cent of the total.

The time bracket during which most road traffic accidents occurred was between noon and 3pm, with 806 cases or 22.0 per cent of the total, followed closely by the 9am-noon, with 800 cases.

The highest number of traffic accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 328 cases. St. Paul’s Bay and Ħal Qormi were next, with 200 and 191 accidents respectively.