During the first quarter of 2018, there were four road traffic fatalities, the NSO said today.
The number of reported traffic accidents in the first quarter this year amounted to 3,373, down by 4.8 per cent over the comparative period in 2017. The Northern Harbour district registered the highest number of accidents with 1,251 cases or 37.1 per cent of all the recorded accidents.
Traffic casualties decreased by almost 10 per cent to 371 over the same period in 2017; of which 244 (65.8 per cent) were drivers. 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, theminjuries suffered by four drivers were fatal.
When classified 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.
The largest number of road traffic casualties (63.1 per cent) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (23.7 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (9.2 per cent). The four fatalities comprised of two motorcyclists and two passenger car drivers. Only one cyclist that was hit by a motorcycle suffered grievous injuries, while another three cyclists sustained slight injuries, two collided with a passenger car and one with a goods-carrying vehicle. Road traffic casualties caused by accidents between vehicles topped the list accounting for 76.0 per cent of all road traffic casualties.
The highest road traffic casualty rate occurred on Mondays, accounting for 16.4 per cent of total casualties, while the highest number of road traffic accidents (574) occurred on Fridays. Sundays topped the highest casualty-to-accidents ratio with 17.2 per cent compared to an overall average of 11.0 per cent. The time bracket during which most accidents occurred was between 09:00-11:59, with 708 cases, or 21.0 per cent of the total, followed by the 12:00-14:59 time bracket, with 694 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 00:00 and 05:59 (132 cases).
The highest number of road traffi c accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 281 cases. Ħal Qormi and Mosta were next, with 194 and 163 reported accidents respectively.