The latest figures on road traffic accidents on our roads should be a cause for serious concern and require immediate, coordinated action to ensure that road safety truly becomes a national priority, the Nationalist Party said on Thursday.

In a statement signed by PN Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility Ivan Castillo, the party said that the latest figures from the National Statistics Office show that immediate action is needed to improve road safety.

A total of 4,072 road traffic accidents were reported between April and June, while 398 people were injured. Of those injured, 146 suffered grievous injuries, while three people died.

Castillo said the figures represented more than statistics, highlighting the impact road accidents have on victims and their families.

He argued that Malta needs to move away from a system that largely reacts after accidents happen towards one focused on preventing them.

Castillo also linked road safety to Malta’s wider traffic problems, pointing out that accidents can lead to closed lanes, interventions by the police and emergency services, delays to public transport and additional congestion on surrounding roads.

He said road safety and congestion therefore could not be treated as separate issues, particularly as traffic already places pressure on families, workers and businesses.

He also called for greater physical and visible enforcement, particularly at locations and times where data indicates a higher risk of accidents.

He also called for greater use of technology, including intelligent CCTV and AI systems at problematic junctions, alongside data analysis to help authorities target enforcement more effectively.

According to Castillo, technology could also allow authorities to detect accidents immediately, speed up emergency responses, reopen roads more quickly and provide motorists with real-time information about alternative routes.

He argued that systems such as CCTV, dynamic message signs and centralised traffic management already provide the necessary tools, but need to be used in a more integrated and effective way.

Castillo said there was no single solution to Malta’s traffic problems, calling instead for a combination of safer infrastructure, stronger enforcement, modern technology, education and genuine alternatives to private car use.

“Reducing accidents does not only reduce congestion – above all, it saves lives,” Castillo said, arguing that this should be at the centre of Malta’s mobility policy.