There were three road traffic fatalities in this year’s second quarter. Two were caused by passenger cars and one by a motorcycle.

The National Statistics Office said the number of reported traffic accidents during the period reached 4,080, almost at par with the same period in 2016.

Traffic casualties increased by 10.8% to 552 over 2016, of which 331 (60%) involved drivers. The number of drivers who sustained slight/insignificant injuries was 275, while 55 cases were reported as grievous.

Another 39 persons (14 passengers, 25 pedestrians/cyclist/others) suffered grievous injuries. There were also 130 passengers and 50 pedestrians/cyclist/others who were slightly/insignificantly injured.

The injuries suffered by a driver, a passenger and a pedestrian were fatal.

On a gender basis, slightly/insignificantly injured persons in the second quarter this year amounted to 455, 244 males and 211 females. Grievously-injured persons totalled 94, the majority being males.

The largest number of road traffic casualties (67.2 per cent) were caused by passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (23.0 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (3.1 per cent).

The highest road traffic casualty rate occurred on Tuesdays, accounting for 18.5 per cent of total casualties, while the highest number of accidents was recorded on Fridays. Sundays topped the highest casualty-to-accidents ratio, with 18.4 per cent compared to an overall average of 13.5 per cent.

The highest rate of traffic accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 306 cases. Ħal Qormi and St Pauls Bay followed, with 222 and 163 reported accidents respectively