The number of traffic collisions in the first three months of the year has declined for the third year running, new figures released on Monday have shown.
Malta registered an average of 37 traffic accidents a day between January and March, down from an average of 38 per day the previous year and the 41 a day averaged in the first three months of 2016.
As well as a 4.8 per cent year-on-year decline from 2017, road safety advocates can celebrate an almost 10 per cent decline in traffic injuries over the same period in 2017. 371 people were hurt in traffic incidents between January and March, with two out of every three of those being a vehicle driver.
Time and location
37.1 per cent of the 3,373 accidents reported during the first quarter of this year happened within the Northern Harbour district, which includes Birkirkara, Qormi, St Julian’s and Sliema, among others.
Fridays were the most dangerous day for local drivers over the year’s first three months, with 574 accidents. More than one in every five accidents between January and March happened between 9am and 10.59am, with the 12pm to 2.59pm time bracket also a dangerous one, with 694 cases recorded.
Although most crashes happened on Fridays, incidents on Mondays registered a higher casualty rate, with 16.4 per cent of casualties happening on the day.
Sundays topped the casualty-to-accident ratio, with 17.2 per cent of collisions resulting in injury, compared to the 11 per cent average.
The highest number of road traffic accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 281 cases. Ħal Qormi and Mosta were next, with 194 and 163 reported accidents respectively.
Traffic casualties
Four people died as a result of traffic collisions in the first three months of the year, compared to six in the previous year’s first quarter and four in that of 2016.
The number of drivers who suffered slight/insignificant injuries was 200,
while 40 cases were reported as having sustained grievous injuries.
Another 30 persons (11 passengers, 18 pedestrians/others and one cyclist) suffered grievous injuries. There were also 75 passengers, 19 pedestrians/others and three cyclists who were slightly/insignificantly injured. Most significant, the
injuries suffered by four drivers were fatal.
When classifed by gender, persons who sustained slight/insignificant injures during the first quarter of 2018 amounted to 164 males and 133 females.
Grievously-injured persons totalled 70, the majority being males. The fatalities comprised of three males and one female. The majority of casualties fell in the 41-59 age bracket.