The number of reported traffic accidents during the third quarter of 2023 reached 4,351, up by 7.1 per cent over the same period in 2022. The Northern Harbour district registered the most accidents with 1,514 cases or 34.8 per cent of all accidents (Table 1).
Road traffic casualties decreased by 4.9 per cent to 427 over the same period in 2022. Grievously injured persons amounted to 115, and consisted of 66 drivers, 16 passengers and 33 pedestrians/cyclists/others. The injuries suffered by one driver 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 (77.4 per cent). Moreover, the fatality that occurred during this quarter involved a male. As regard to age cohorts, the highest amount of casualties involved persons in the 26 to 40 years age bracket (37.2 per cent) (Table 5).
Chart 1. Road traffic accidents and fatalities by period
No Data Found
The largest number of road traffic casualties (52.7 per cent) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (36.8 per cent) and goods-carrying vehicles (5.2 per cent). The fatal accident included a vehicle colliding with another vehicle killing the driver. Cyclists involved in traffic accidents amounted to eight, where two suffered grevious injuries, five suffered slight injuries and one suffered insignificant injuries (Tables 6-7). Road traffic casualties resulting from accidents between vehicles topped the list with 67.2 per cent of all road traffic casualties (Table 7).
The highest number of road traffic casualties occurred on Fridays with 72 casualties, and the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Mondays with 692 cases or 15.9 per cent of the total (Table 8). The time bracket during which most road traffic accidents occurred was between 09:00 – 11:59 with 1,002 cases or 23.0 per cent of the total, followed by the 15:00 – 17:59 time bracket with 914 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 – 05:59 with 63 cases (Table 9).
The highest incidence of road traffic accidents was registered in San Pawl il-Baħar with 254 cases, followed by Birkirkara and Ħal Qormi, with 248 and 245 cases respectively (Table 10, Map 1 and Chart 5).
Ta’ Kerċem, il-Fontana and San Lawrenz registered less than five road traffic accidents. (Map 1 and Table 10).
Map 1. Road traffic accidents by locality: July-September 2023
All districts recorded an increase in road traffic accidents except for the Western district, which recorded a slight decrease, when compared to the third quarter of the previous year. The Southern Harbour district registered the highest percentage increase in road traffic accidents at 11.6 per cent, followed by the Northern Harbour district at 9.1 per cent (Table 1 and Map 2).
Map 2. Percentage change in road traffic accidents by district: July-September 2023/2022
Note: In the Western district, the percentage decrease in road traffic accidents was negligible.
Additional Tables and Charts
Chart 2. Road traffic casualties by age group and gender
July-September 2023
No Data Found
Chart 3. Percentage distribution of road traffic casualties by day of the week
July-September 2023
No Data Found
Note: Percentages may not add up due to rounding.
Chart 4. Road traffic accidents by time bracket and day of the week
July-September 2023
No Data Found
Chart 5. Top 10 localities for road traffic accidents
July-September 2023
No Data Found
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. Statistics in this News Release should be interpreted in the context of the COVID-19 situation.
7. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately.
8. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
9. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.
- During the third quarter of 2023, there was one road traffic fatality, involving a male.
- During the third quarter of 2023, road traffic accidents increased by 7.1 per cent and casualties decreased by 4.9 per cent when compared to the same period in 2022.
- In the third quarter of 2023, the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Mondays with 692 cases or 15.9 per cent of the total.
- San Pawl il-Baħar registered the highest number of road traffic accidents at 254 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 |
