2 traffic fatalities in the first quarter this year, traffic accidents up 10.1%

by Gozo News · May 12, 2015

2 traffic fatalities in the first quarter this year, traffic accidents up 10.1% In the first quarter of 2015, the number of reported traffic accidents reached 3,572, an increase of 10.1 percent over the corresponding quarter last year, the National Statistics reported today.

Increases were recorded in all districts. The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents, with 1,374 cases, or 38.5 per cent of all accidents.

In total, 362 traffic casualties were reported, of which 207 involved drivers. Other, 176 injuries were slight and the another 31 were reported as grievous.

During this period, 33 other persons (10 passengers and 23 pedestrians) suffered grievous injuries, while 120 (86 passengers and 34 pedestrians) were slightly injured. Furthermore, the injuries suffered by one passenger and one pedestrian were fatal.

On a gender basis, slightly-injured persons in the first quarter this year numbered 296: 159 males and 137 females. Grievously-injured persons totalled 64, the majority being males. The fatalities in the quarter under review comprised of two males. The majority of casualties (29.6 per cent), fell in the 26-40 age bracket.

The largest number of traffic casualties (76.5 per cent), were caused by passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (16.6 per cent), and goods-carrying vehicles (5.5 per cent).

In the first quarter of 2015, the highest traffic casualty rate occurred on Sundays, accounting for 17.7 per cent of total casualties while the highest number of accidents were recorded on Fridays, totalling 564 cases, and the lowest were recorded on Sundays, with 365 cases. Sundays topped the highest casualty-to-accidents ratio, with 17.5 per cent compared to an overall average of 10.1 per cent.

The daily time bracket in which most accidents occurred was between 12:00 and 14:59, with 796 cases, or 22.3 per cent of the total. This was followed by the 09:00-11:59 time bracket, with 745 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 and 05:59 (81 cases).

The highest rate of traffic accidents, was registered in Birkirkara with 283 cases. Marsa and Hal Qormi were next, with 208 and 174 reported accidents respectively.