Relevance

Statistics cover data related to both total road traffic accidents and road traffic casualties.  Total road traffic accidents comprise minor accidents without casualties, accidents involving injuries (in which persons are slightly or grievously injured), and fatal accidents.

Methodological description

Road traffic accidents data are compiled from administrative information provided by the Police Department, and the Malta Insurance Association (Guard and Warden Services Limited) on a monthly basis.

Accuracy and reliability of data

Data is checked for consistency and compared with the data from the previous quarter and month.  In case anomalies emerge, queries are sent directly to the respective source for clarification.

Timeliness and punctuality of data

The ‘Road Traffic Accidents’ news release is published quarterly on the NSO’s website as scheduled in the Advance News Release Calendar.  Data for a particular reference quarter is published in the following quarter.

Data is also forwarded to Eurostat by filling in the necessary details in the ‘Common Questionnaire for Inland Transport Statistics’.  Data is submitted within 9 to 12 months after reference calendar year.

Accessibility and clarity of data

Tables on road traffic accidents are also included in an annual publication ‘Transport Statistics’ which is available on the NSO’s website. 

Coherence and comparability / consistency of data

Road Traffic Accidents data is fully comparable at a regional and district level as from year 2005.

Such data collection is the only source which brings together information on road traffic accidents. Coherence tests with other domains are not applicable.​