Fewer road accidents and injuries in early 2025, but fatalities rise

Malta saw a decline in both road traffic accidents and casualties in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Office.

However, the period also recorded an increase in fatalities, with four people losing their lives in traffic-related incidents—three more than the first quarter of 2024.

Between January and March 2025, a total of 3,468 road traffic accidents were reported, marking a 9% decrease year-on-year. The Northern Harbour district logged the highest number of cases with 1,178 incidents, accounting for 34% of the national total.

Casualties from road accidents fell by nearly 12% to 297. Of these, 78 were grievously injured, including 42 drivers, 13 passengers, and 23 pedestrians, cyclists or others. The four fatalities involved three male drivers and one female pedestrian, with three of the drivers fatally crashing into a property and the pedestrian struck by a vehicle.

Men made up the majority of the grievously injured at nearly 70%, while people aged 26 to 40 were the most commonly affected group, representing 33.7% of all casualties.

Passenger cars were involved in the majority of incidents leading to injuries (51.9%), followed by motorcycles (31.6%) and goods vehicles (8.1%). Cyclists were involved in six reported accidents, with three suffering grievous injuries and three sustaining minor ones.

Most accidents resulting in casualties (65%) occurred during collisions between vehicles. Mondays saw the highest number of injuries at 59, while Fridays topped the chart for overall accident numbers, with 564 incidents total.

In terms of timing, the highest number of accidents happened between 9am and noon, followed closely by the 3-6pm slot. The least dangerous time on the roads was 3-6am, when just 53 incidents were reported.