Traffic accidents claim eight lives in three months

Birkirkara registers the highest rate of traffic accidents in third quarter, St Paul's Bay and Qormi follow • Fatalities between July and September reach eight

20 October 2016, 12:12pm
by Jeanelle Mifsud

1 min read

845 cases of traffic accidents occurred between 09:00 and noon (File Photo)

The number of reported traffic accidents in the third quarter of 2016 reached 3,809, marking a 7.4% decrease the corresponding period last year.

The highest rate of traffic accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 294 cases. St Paul’s Bay and Qormi followed, with 213 and 166 reported accidents respectively.

845 cases of traffic accidents (22.2% of the total) occurred between 09:00 and noon. This was followed by the period between 12:00 and 14:59, with 788 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 03:00 and 05:59 (86 cases).

Most accidents took place in the Northern Harbour district which registered 1,368 cases (35.9% of all accidents).

Traffic casualties increased by 10.8% to 513 over 2015, of which 307 (59.8%) involved drivers. The amount of slight injuries sustained by drivers was 264, and 40 cases were reported as grievous. Another 47 persons suffered grievous injuries, of which 26 were passengers and 21 were pedestrians. Additionally, there were 110 passengers and 44 pedestrians who were slightly injured.

Fatalities resulting from traffic accidents were eight in total: three drivers, one passenger and four pedestrians.

On a gender basis, slightly-injured persons in the third quarter this year amounted to 418, with 220 males and 198 females. Grievously injured persons totalled 87, the majority being males. The fatalities comprised of seven males and one female.

The majority of victims of traffic casualties and fatalities fell in the 26-40 age bracket.

The largest number of traffic casualties (72.3%) were caused by passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (20.5%) and goods-carrying vehicles (5.1%). Of the eight fatalities, five were caused by passenger cars and three by motorcycles.

The highest traffic casualty rate occurred on Saturdays, accounting for 17.2% of total casualties, while the highest number of accidents was recorded on Fridays. Saturdays topped the highest casualty-to-accidents ratio, with 18.1% compared to an overall average of 13.5%.