Five people were killed in the second quarter of 2020, despite a sharp drop in traffic accidents and causalities.

This compares to six fatalities during the same period in 2019, according to the National Statistics Office.

The number of reported traffic accidents in the second quarter this year reached 2,255 - down by 40.9 per cent over the same period in 2019. The Northern Harbour district registered the largest number of accidents with 739 cases (32.8%).

Photo: National Statistics Office

Road traffic casualties meanwhile decreased by 46.6 per cent to 225 over the same period in 2019.

Grievously injured people amounted to 49, including five passengers and 17 pedestrians or cyclists.

The injuries suffered by three motorcycle drivers, a quad driver and a motorcycle passenger proved fatal.

The majority of the grievously injured victims were men (79.6 per cent), while most of the casualties involved people aged between 26 and 40.

More than half of the casualties involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles and goods-carrying vehicles.

The highest number of casualties occurred on Thursdays and Tuesdays with 42 and 36 casualties respectively, while the highest number of accidents were recorded on Fridays with 370 cases or 16.4% of the total.

Most (a fourth) were reported between 9am and noon, followed by the 3pm to 6pm time bracket. 

Meanwhile, the highest incidence of accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 209 cases, followed by Qormi and Marsa, with 129 and 110 reported accidents.

Photo: National Statistics Office