In the second quarter this year, the number of reported traffic accidents reached 3,694, a decrease of 379 from the corresponding quarter last year. Drops were recorded in all districts, the biggest percentage decrease occurring in the Western district (11.0 per cent). The Northern Harbour district registered the highest number of accidents: 1,396 cases, or 37.8 per cent of the total.

In the period under review, 301 traffic casualties were reported. Of these, 178 drivers sustained injuries: 142 suffered slight injuries, 32 suffered grievous ones, while the injuries sustained by four drivers proved fatal. During the same period, 22 other persons (11 passengers and 11 pedestrians) suffered grievous injuries, while 100 (77 passengers and 23 pedestrians) suffered slight ones. One pedestrian suffered fatal injuries.

On a gender basis, slightly-injured persons in the second quarter of 2009 numbered 242: 146 males and 96 females. Grievously-injured persons totalled 54, the majority being males. The five fatalities in the quarter under review were all males. The majority of casualties were aged 40-59.

In this quarter, the highest traffic casualty rates occurred on Saturdays and Sundays, accounting for 34.9 per cent of total casualties. The highest accident rate was recorded on Thursdays, totalling 590 cases and the lowest recorded on Sundays, with 376 cases. However, Sundays topped the casualty-to-accident.

Table 9 shows that 73.8 per cent of casualties involved passenger cars while 15.3 per cent involved motorcycles.

In the period under review, Birkirkara was the locality with the highest rate of traffic accidents, with 209 cases. Qormi and Marsa came next, with 208 and 185 reported accidents respectively