During the second quarter of 2026, both road traffic accidents and casualties increased when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year, with 146 people suffering grievous injuries and three suffering fatal injuries, the National Statistics Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The number of reported traffic accidents during the second quarter of 2026 reached 4,072, up by 1.1 per cent over the same period in 2025. The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents with 1,340 cases or 32.9 per cent of all accidents.

Road traffic casualties increased by 16.0 per cent to 398 over the same period in 2025. Grievously injured persons amounted to 146, and consisted of 86 drivers, 19 passengers and 41 pedestrians/cyclists/others, the NSO said.

The injuries sustained by two drivers and one pedestrian proved fatal. During this quarter, two fewer fatalities were registered when compared to the same period in 2025.

The majority of those grievously injured were males (72.6 per cent). Moreover, the fatalities that occurred during this quarter involved two males and one female. With regard to age cohorts, 29.4 per cent of the casualties involved persons in the 26 to 40 age bracket.

The largest number of road traffic casualties (41.7 per cent) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (40.7 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (6.8 per cent). The fatalities included two drivers crashing into a property and a vehicle hitting a pedestrian.

A total of 14 cyclists were involved in traffic accidents, of whom six sustained grievous injuries, and eight sustained slight injuries. Road traffic casualties resulting from accidents between vehicles accounted for 57.0 per cent of all road traffic casualties.

The highest number of road traffic casualties occurred on Sunday with 75 casualties, and the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Thursdays with 662 cases or 16.3 per cent of the total.

The highest number of road traffic accidents occurred between 12:00 and 14:59, with 942 cases or 23.1 per cent of the total, followed by those occurring between 15:00 and 17:59, with 880 cases. The lowest number of accidents occurred between 03:00 and 05:59, with 35 cases.

The highest incidence of road traffic accidents was registered in Ħal Qormi with 223 cases, followed by Birkirkara and San Pawl Il-Baħar, with 211 and 209 cases respectively.

Il-Fontana, San Lawrenz, Ix-Xgħajra, and Ta’ Kerċem registered less than five road traffic accidents during the quarter under review while no accidents were registered at L-Ghasri.

All districts recorded an increase in road traffic accidents, except for the Northern Harbour and Western districts. The Northern Harbour district registered a decrease of 1.9 per cent, while the Western district remained unchanged. The South Eastern district registered the highest percentage increase in road traffic accidents, at 8.2 per cent.