Annual fatalities rise sharply in 2025

Road traffic accidents and casualties in Malta fell during the fourth quarter of 2025 when compared to the same period the year before, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office on Wednesday.

The drop comes amid a difficult year for road safety overall. The total number of road fatalities in 2025 reached 18, six more than in 2024.

Between October and December 2025, 3,694 road accidents were reported, a 6.7% decrease from the same quarter in 2024. The statistics also noted that two people lost their lives on the roads between October and December.

The Northern Harbour district recorded the most accidents, accounting for 1,200 cases (32.5 per cent of all crashes). At the local level, Qormi recorded the highest number of accidents, with 202, followed closely by Birkirkara with 201 and Marsa with 183. At the other end of the scale, Kalkara, Fontana, San Lawrenz and Għasri each recorded fewer than five accidents.

Road traffic casualties decreased by 10.8%, totalling 332, with 103 grievous injuries, 60 drivers, 12 passengers, and 31 pedestrians or others. Two driver fatalities occurred in vehicle collisions, one fewer death than in the same period in 2024.

Most grievous injuries involved males (65.1%), and fatalities included one man and one woman. The 41-59 age group had the highest casualty rate at 28.6%.

Passenger cars accounted for the most casualties, at 48.5%, followed by motorcycles at 40.1% and goods vehicles at 6.3%.

Crashes between vehicles accounted for the most casualties overall, representing 59.6% of all road traffic casualties. Among cyclists, nine were involved in accidents during the quarter, three suffered grievous injuries, five suffered slight injuries, and one suffered insignificant injuries.

Mondays saw the highest number of casualties with 59, while Fridays recorded the most accidents with 609 cases, or 16.5% of the weekly total. The busiest time of day for accidents was the midday period between 12:00 and 14:59, with 844 cases, closely followed by the 9:00 to 11:59 bracket with 843 cases. The quietest period was between midnight and 2:59am, with just 56 cases.

All districts recorded a drop in road accidents, except the South Eastern and Gozo and Comino districts. The Northern district saw the sharpest decline at 17.1%, while Gozo and Comino recorded the largest increase at 20.1%.

Looking at the full year, the number of injury accidents in 2025 was 1,153, a decrease of 131 (10.2%) compared to 2024. Non-injury accidents fell by 1,368, or 8.9%, to 13,951. The second quarter of 2025 recorded the most accidents overall, with 4,026, while the third quarter saw the highest number of fatalities, at seven.