Grand Theft Auto? Traffic Casualties And Accidents On The Rise, According To New NSO Figures
14,135 reported traffic accidents in 2021 resulted in the death of nine people in Malta – five of these were drivers, and four were pedestrians.
This is according to the most recently available transport statistics, which have been released by the National Statistics Office today. They illustrate a significant increase in traffic casualties – of 32.9% – over figures from 2020.
Even though these numbers cover 2021, the figures might explain how a day rarely passes without hearing about another accident.
The largest proportion of reported traffic accidents – 35.3% – occurred in the Northern Harbour district.
Figures show that the number of vehicle-related casualties and fatalities in Malta is on the rise – and so is the number of registered vehicles.
At a remarkable average rate of 29 newly registered vehicles per day, the stock of newly licensed motor vehicles increased by 8% more than it had in 2020.
Despite this rate of new registrations, there are clearly not enough cars to go around for some individuals – as local acts of grand theft auto have also been on the rise. A total of 243 vehicles were stolen, representing a huge increase of 41.3%.
For those acquiring their vehicles legally, choosing to acquire electric or hybrid vehicles was a more alluring choice, and alternative-powered motor vehicles registered an increase of 61.6%. Despite this, 59.2% of licensed motor vehicles in Malta had petrol engines.
Although passenger cars remained by far the most favoured traveling vehicles in Malta, covering an astounding 2,290 million kilometres, or 80.2% of the total distance traveled, 4.2% more people have been using public transport.
The total sum of journeys taken on public transport was 35,207,171.
Beyond road transport, the NSO report also disclosed statistics concerning travel by air and sea – revealing that Malta International Airport increased passenger traffic by 45.4% over the previous year, with Italy and the UK remains the most popular destinations.
Given the global shamble that was 2020, this uptick may not be hugely surprising. At the same time and for the same reason, cruise liner embarkations increased by 7,892, and passenger landings in Malta increased by 9,771.
The report’s main takeaways indicate that in the year after COVID-19’s mass outbreak, traveling by passenger cars – accounting for 75.8% of all vehicles – remained the preference across Malta’s population.
People love cars here – even some of our dogs are learning how to use them. Still, the point remains that bad luck combined with this preference – or necessity, depending on who you ask – resulted in nine deaths and an increase in casualties of 32.9%.
This data represents changes taking place during a year of recovery and adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic – and it will be interesting to see next year’s stats, and how our transport habits continue to shift as this new normal seeps in.
Additionally, it may be interesting to see if the government’s climate initiatives might seek to incentivise the electrification of Malta’s vehicular fleet – or even to stop its growth and reduce it in size.
Tag someone who covered a large part of our collective 2,290 million kilometres by passenger car
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