Maltese roads are getting more dangerous as the number of accidents and those leading to injury increased in 2023, according to new data published by the National Statistics Office.

Some 15,024 traffic accidents were reported in Malta during 2023, a 4.1% increase on the previous year, with injuries resulting from collisions also increasing by 3.8% to 1,390.

The NSO’s report on the fourth quarter of 2023 highlights a stark increase in almost every metric covered by the survey compared to last year.  For example, 3,997 of the year’s incidents took place in its last quarter, a 4.2% increase on the previous year.

Out of the resulting 429 injuries, a 12.1% increase on last year’s final quarter, 55% were involved a passenger car, whilst a third of accidents involved at least one motorcycle.

The Northern Harbour Area of Malta saw the highest number of accidents during the year and the fourth quarter, with 5,869 and 1,432, respectively. Out of each locality, Birkirkara saw the highest number of accidents throughout the year, with 287 in total.

In terms of fatalities, 2022 marked the deadliest year on record with, with 26 lives lost, falling to 14 in 2023.

The situation on Malta’s roads continues to be of concern to members of the public, including the ongoing investigation into the murder of Pelin Kaya, the 30-year-old woman publicly mowed down and killed by Jeremie Camilleri at the wheel of his BMW in January of last year.

In addition, the driving test scandal, in which government officials were found to be coercing Transport Malta officials into giving earmarked candidates special treatment, raised questions regarding the material threat institutional recklessness poses to Maltese road safety.

Repeated private and public infrastructure failures have added to these concerns, as has the government’s failure to deliver an independent Transport Safety Investigation Commission, which it promised would be operating by December 2023.

The proposals were encouraged by the NGO “Doctors for Road Safety Malta” upon their initial announcement. Their January 2023 response to the Government white paper hailed the plan as an “important fundamental step forward for the active, holistic management of road safety in Malta, adding, “Doctors for Road Safety is pleased to provide preliminary feedback on this initial document establishing this important entity.”

The project was later postponed, seemingly indefinitely, with the Ministry of Transport citing unforeseen legal obstacles.

The situation has been exacerbated by a significant increase in vehicles due to increased immigration, with an average of 52 new cars added to the roads daily.

As of September 2023, there were some 436,007 cars registered in Malta against a population of over 535,000.