The number of reported traffic accidents during the first quarter of 2023 reached 3,822, up by 6.3 per cent over the same period in 2022. The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents with 1,369 cases or 35.8 per cent of all accidents (Table 1).
Road traffic casualties increased by 13.3 per cent to 367 over the same period in 2022. Grievously injured persons amounted to 96, and consisted of 52 drivers, eight passengers and 36 pedestrians/cyclists/others. The injuries suffered by one driver and three pedestrians proved fatal (Tables 4-6). During this quarter, five less fatalities occurred when compared to the same period in 2022 (Chart 1).
The majority of those grievously injured were males (77.1 per cent). Moreover, all the fatalities that occurred during this quarter involved males. 39.8 per cent of the casualties involved persons in the 26 to 40 age-bracket (Table 5).
Chart 1. Road traffic accidents and fatalities by period
No Data Found
The largest number of road traffic casualties (53.1 per cent) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (34.6 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (6.5 per cent). The four fatalities included a vehicle colliding with another vehicle killing the driver, and three pedestrians being hit by a vehicle. Cyclists involved in traffic accidents amounted to eight, where six suffered slight injuries and two suffered grievous injuries (Tables 6-7). Road traffic casualties resulting from accidents between vehicles topped the list with 64.3 per cent of all road traffic casualties (Table 7).
The highest number of road traffic casualties occurred on Thursdays with 65 casualties, and the highest number of road traffic accidents also occurred on Thursdays with 621 cases or 16.2 per cent of the total (Table 8). The time bracket during which most road traffic accidents occurred was between 09:00 – 11:59 with 844 cases or 22.1 per cent of the total, followed by the 12:00 – 14:59 time bracket with 828 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 – 05:59 with 60 cases (Table 9).
The highest incidence of road traffic accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 271 cases, followed by Ħal Qormi and Il-Mosta, with 220 and 183 cases respectively (Table 10, Map 1 and Chart 5).
L-Għarb, Il-Qala, L-Għasri, Ta’ Kerċem, Ix-Xgħajra, San Lawrenz and Il-Fontana registered less than five road traffic accidents. (Map 1 and Table 10).
Map 1. Road traffic accidents by locality: January-March 2023
The Gozo and Comino district recorded a decrease in road traffic accidents, while all the other districts recorded an increase, when compared to the first quarter of the previous year. The Northern district registered the highest percentage increase in road traffic accidents at 12.3 per cent, followed by the Northern Harbour district at 7.7 per cent (Table 1 and Map 2).
Map 2. Percentage change in road traffic accidents by district: January-March 2023/2022
Additional Tables and Charts
Chart 2. Road traffic casualties by age group and gender
January-March 2023
No Data Found
Chart 3. Percentage distribution of road traffic casualties by day of the week
January-March 2023
No Data Found
Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding
Chart 4. Road traffic accidents by time bracket and day of the week
January-March 2023
No Data Found
Chart 5. Top 10 localities for road traffic accidents
January-March 2023
No Data Found
Methodological Notes
1. Road traffic accidents data is compiled from administrative information provided by the Police Department and the Malta Insurance Association (Guard and Warden Service House Limited).
2. Definitions:
a. Total road traffic accidents consist of the road traffic accidents involving casualties (Police reports) and the minor road traffic accidents without casualties (Police and Warden reports).
b. Non-injury (minor) road traffic accidents refer to accidents assessed by Wardens and/or the Police involving at least one vehicle and in which no persons are injured. Non-injury road traffic accidents which are either not reported or directly reported to Insurance Agencies by means of the Traffic Accident Form (i.e. where no Police or Wardens are called on the accident scene and are settled by the completion of the relevant form) are not accounted for.
c. Insignificant injury is determined by the Police as the sustaining of a very minimal injury (e.g. bruise, scratch, etc.) or shock due to accident which, in most cases, requires very basic treatment or no treatment at all.
d. The definition of slight injury is as listed in Art. 221 et sequitur of the Criminal Code, Chapter 9 of the Laws of Malta.
e. The definition of grievous injury is as listed in Art. 216 et sequitur of the Criminal Code, Chapter 9 of the Laws of Malta.
f. UNECE defines road fatal injury as: “Any person who was killed outright or who died within 30 days as a result of the accident”.
g. Road traffic accident fatalities data may be subject to revisions. For certain cases, the NSO may need to wait for the cause of the fatality to be duly established by the conclusions of Magisterial Inquiry.
3. The casualty-to-accident ratio indicates the risk level of suffering an injury in an accident. Therefore, a higher percentage rate means that the corresponding accidents were more serious (i.e. more persons were injured).
4. Data is subject to revision.
5. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
Sources and Methods
Statistical Concepts
LAU Classification
NUTS Classification
6. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately.
7. Statistics in this News Release should be interpreted in the context of the COVID-19 situation.
8. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
- During the first quarter of 2023, there were four road traffic fatalities, involving four males.
- During the first quarter of 2023, road traffic accidents and casualties increased by 6.3 and 13.3 per cent respectively when compared to the same period in 2022.
- In the first quarter of 2023, the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Thursdays with 621 cases or 16.2 per cent of the total.
- Birkirkara registered the highest number of road traffic accidents at 271 cases.
Graphical Illustration of MALTA by LAU1 Classification
Districts classification
Southern Harbour
Bormla; Il-Fgura; Floriana; Ħal Luqa; Ħaż-Żabbar; Il-Kalkara; Il-Marsa; Raħal Ġdid; Santa Luċija; L-Isla; Ħal Tarxien; Valletta; Il-Birgu; Ix-Xgħajra.
Northern Harbour
Birkirkara; Il-Gżira; Ħal Qormi; Il-Ħamrun; L-Imsida; Pembroke; San Ġwann; Santa Venera; San Ġiljan; Is-Swieqi; Ta’ Xbiex; Tal-Pietà; Tas-Sliema.
South Eastern
Birżebbuġa; Il-Gudja; Ħal Għaxaq; Ħal Kirkop; Ħal Safi; Marsaskala; Marsaxlokk; L-Imqabba; Il-Qrendi; Iz-Żejtun; iz-Żurrieq.
Western
Ħad-Dingli; Ħal Balzan; Ħal Lija; Ħ’Attard; Ħaż-Żebbuġ; L-Iklin; L-Imdina; L-Imtarfa; Ir-Rabat; Is-Siġġiewi.
Northern
Ħal Għargħur; Il-Mellieħa; L-Imġarr; Il-Mosta; In-Naxxar; San Pawl Il-Baħar.
Gozo and Comino
Il-Fontana; Għajnsielem and Comino; L-Għarb; L-Għasri; Il-Munxar; In-Nadur; Il-Qala; San Lawrenz; Ta’ Kerċem; Ta’ Sannat; Ir-Rabat; Ix-Xagħra; Ix-Xewkija; Iż-Żebbuġ.
Graphical Illustration of MALTA by LAU2 Classification
| Key | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valletta | 18 | Floriana | 35 | Marsaskala | 52 | San Ġiljan |
| 2 | L-Imdina | 19 | Il-Fontana | 36 | Marsaxlokk | 53 | San Ġwann |
| 3 | Il-Birgu | 20 | Il-Gudja | 37 | Il-Mellieħa | 54 | San Lawrenz |
| 4 | L-Isla | 21 | Il-Gżira | 38 | L-Imġarr | 55 | San Pawl Il-Baħar |
| 5 | Bormla | 22 | Għajnsielem and Comino | 39 | Il-Mosta | 56 | Ta' Sannat |
| 6 | Ħal Qormi | 23 | L-Għarb | 40 | L-Imqabba | 57 | Santa Luċija |
| 7 | Ħaż-Żebbuġ | 24 | Ħal Għargħur | 41 | L-Imsida | 58 | Santa Venera |
| 8 | Ħaż-Żabbar | 25 | L-Għasri | 42 | Il-Munxar | 59 | Tas-Sliema |
| 9 | Is-Siġġiewi | 26 | Ħal Għaxaq | 43 | In-Nadur | 60 | Is-Swieqi |
| 10 | Iż-Żejtun | 27 | Il-Ħamrun | 44 | In-Naxxar | 61 | Ta' Xbiex |
| 11 | Ir-Rabat, Għawdex | 28 | L-Iklin | 45 | Raħal Ġdid | 62 | Ħal Tarxien |
| 12 | Ħ'Attard | 29 | Il-Kalkara | 46 | Pembroke | 63 | Ix-Xagħra |
| 13 | Ħal Balzan | 30 | Ta' Kerċem | 47 | Tal-Pieta' | 64 | Ix-Xewkija |
| 14 | Birkirkara | 31 | Ħal Kirkop | 48 | Il-Qala | 65 | Ix-Xgħajra |
| 15 | Birżebbuġa | 32 | Ħal Lija | 49 | Il-Qrendi | 66 | Iż-Żebbuġ, Għawdex |
| 16 | Ħad-Dingli | 33 | Ħal Luqa | 50 | Ir-Rabat, Malta | 67 | Iż-Żurrieq |
| 17 | Il-Fgura | 34 | Il-Marsa | 51 | Ħal Safi | 68 | L-Imtarfa |
