News Releases

Road Traffic Accidents: Q1/2024

NR 081/2024
Release Date: 06 May 2024

During the first quarter of 2024, road traffic accidents and casualties decreased when compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Road traffic fatalities amounted to one.
Car,Crash

The number of reported traffic accidents during the first quarter of 2024 reached 3,811, down by 0.3 per cent over the same period in 2023. The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents with 1,347 cases or 35.3 per cent of all accidents (Table 1).

Road traffic casualties decreased by 8.2 per cent to 337 over the same period in 2023. Grievously injured persons amounted to 81, and consisted of 54 drivers, 7 passengers and 20 pedestrians/cyclists/others. The injuries suffered by one pedestrian proved fatal (Tables 4-6). During this quarter, three less fatalities occurred when compared to the same period in 2023 (Chart 1).

The majority of those grievously injured were males (77.8 per cent). Moreover, the fatality that occurred during this quarter involved a male. As regard to age cohorts, 32.0 per cent of the casualties involved persons in the 41 to 59 age bracket (Chart 2 and Table 5).

Chart 1. Road traffic accidents and fatalities by period

No Data Found

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The largest number of road traffic casualties (55.2 per cent) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (35.3 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (3.0 per cent). The fatality included a pedestrian being hit by a motorcycle. Cyclists involved in traffic accidents amounted to six, where two suffered grievous injuries and four suffered slight injuries (Tables 6-7). Road traffic casualties resulting from accidents between vehicles topped the list with 65.3 per cent of all road traffic casualties (Table 7).

The highest number of road traffic casualties occurred on Sunday with 63 casualties, and the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Thursdays with 613 cases or 16.1 per cent of the total (Table 8). The time bracket with the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred between 12:00 – 14:59 with 862 cases or 22.6 per cent of the total, followed by the 15:00 – 17:59 time bracket with 789 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 – 05:59 with 45 cases (Table 9).

The highest incidence of road traffic accidents was registered in Ħal Qormi with 256 cases, followed by Birkirkara and San Pawl Il-Baħar, with 225 and 188 cases respectively (Table 10, Map 1 and Chart 5).

Ta’ Sannat, San Lawrenz, L-Għasri and Il-Fontana registered less than five road traffic accidents. (Map 1 and Table 10).

Map 1. Road traffic accidents by locality: January-March 2024

The Western, Gozo and Comino and Northern districts recorded an increase in road traffic accidents, while the Southern Harbour, South Eastern and Northern Harbour recorded a decrease, when compared to the first quarter of the previous year. The Western district registered the highest percentage increase in road traffic accidents at 9.2 per cent, whereas the Southern Harbour district recorded the highest percentage decrease at 4.5 per cent (Table 1 and Map 2).

Map 2. Percentage change in road traffic accidents by district: January-March 2024/2023

Additional Tables and Charts

Tables

Chart 2. Road traffic casualties by age group and gender

January-March 2024

No Data Found

Chart 3. Percentage distribution of road traffic casualties by day of the week

January-March 2024

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Note: Percentages may not add up due to rounding.

Chart 4. Road traffic accidents by time bracket and day of the week

January-March 2024

No Data Found

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Chart 5. Top 10 localities for road traffic accidents

January-March 2024

No Data Found

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Methodological Notes

1. Road traffic accidents data is compiled from administrative information provided by the Malta Police Force and the Malta Insurance Association (LESA).

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. A detailed news release calendar is available online.

7. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.

8. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.

Road Traffic Accidents: Q1/2024  

NR 081/2024
Release Date: 06 May 2024

Car,Crash
  • During the first quarter of 2024, road traffic accidents and casualties decreased by 0.3 and 8.2 per cent respectively when compared to the same period in 2023.
  • There was one road traffic fatality, involving a male, between January and March 2024.
  • In the first three months of 2024, the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Thursdays with 613 cases or 16.1 per cent of the total.
  • Ħal Qormi registered the highest number of road traffic accidents at 256 cases.

Road Traffic Accidents: Q1/2024

Graphical Illustration of MALTA by LAU1 Classification
Map REgions

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
Methodological Map
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
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