There were 6,500 accidents reported to the police this year, with 23 of them resulting in loss of life, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said today.

He was speaking during a visit he made to police headquarters ahead of the Christmas and New Year’s Day events, which will mean extra workload for traffic police as well as other sections of the force.

He said 230 breathalyser tests were carried out in Malta and Gozo in the last year, up from 89 the previous year.

He said there were 850 road checks, including 250 in places of entertainment.

 In 2016, 190 persons were arraigned on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, with 89 of them being found guilty.

More than 7,000 fines were issued to drivers who were using their mobile phone behind the wheel, with 5,551 of them being issued by the police traffic section.