Be the first to comment!There was one traffic fatality in the first quarter this year
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In the first quarter of 2011, the number of reported traffic accidents reached 3,294, at par with the corresponding quarter last year. Slight drops were recorded in the South Eastern and Northern Harbour districts. On the other hand, the Western district registered the highest percentage increase (16.3 per cent) in traffic accidents
In the period under review, 301 traffic casualties were reported, of which 189 involved drivers. Among this group, there were 167 injuries which were slight and the other 22 were reported as grievous. During this period, 20 other persons (seven passengers and 13 pedestrians) suffered grievous injuries, while 91 (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.
77.7 per cent of traffic casualties were caused by passenger cars, followed by motorcycles at 13.0 per cent, while 8.0 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.
During the period under review, the daily time bracket in which most accidents occured was between 09:00 and 11:59, with 709 cases, or 21.5 per cent of the total. This is followed by the 15:00-17:59 time bracket, with 697 cases. The lowest number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 and 05:59 (65 cases).
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.
