Half of the 29 pedestrians who were killed in traffic accidents over the past five years were aged over 65, according to figures obtained from the police.

Figures showed that, since 2018, there were 83 road fatalities on Malta’s roads, 29 of which involved the death of pedestrians – 14 of whom were aged over 65.

According to recent Eurostat data, the proportion of the population aged 65 and over stood at 18.8 per cent in December 2021.

Two of the elderly people killed were run over in Valley Road, Birkirkara. The most dangerous road for pedestrians was December 13 Road, in Marsa where four deaths occurred last year with victims aged between 23 and 31.

The figures showed that 19 of the pedestrians who died since 2018 were aged over 50, eight were in their 20s and 30s and two of the victims were 19 years old.

Last year saw a record of 26 road deaths that involved 14 pedestrians, six of whom were over 65. This year, the roads claimed three deaths, all of them pedestrians.

On January 14, 79-year-old Pawlu D’Amato died after being hit by a car on the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass.

Last year saw a record of 26 road deaths that involved 14 pedestrians, six of whom were over 65. This year, the roads claimed three deaths, all of them pedestrians

After his death, Marsa residents complained that accidents were happening in the road because a pedestrian crossing in their neighbourhood had been blocked off, forcing them to take an almost seven-minute walk just to get to the other side of the road.

The pedestrian crossing, which is situated on the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass, was fully operational and complete with traffic lights up until a few months ago and was the only convenient way for residents to get from one side of Marsa, across the busy road, to the other side.

They complained that this meant they are now forced to take a long, alternative route down to Triq Diċembru 13 – that claimed four victims last year – and around part of the town, just to get to the other side of the road.

However, the Transport Ministry defended its decision to close access to the Marsa crossing, arguing it is a safer option, albeit inconvenient.

The second fatality of the year involved 90-year-old classic cars enthusiast Oliver Agius who died on impact when he was hit by a car on February 2.

The incident happened on Triq San Pawl in the afternoon. Residents in the locality later called for traffic calming measures to avoid similar accidents.

The most recent fatality was 54-year-old Twanny Marmarà. He was hit by a Peugeot 208 driven by a 20-year-old man from Qrendi in Valletta Road, Rabat, last week.

Cause of accident

Under the Maltese system, whenever there is a traffic fatality a magisterial inquiry is held.

The inquiry can lead to a person being charged in court months or years later but the conclusions of the inquiry are not made public.

There is no system that collects information about the causes of accidents, a gap that was flagged in a recent study published in the Malta Medical Journal.

The study spoke about the lack of detailed data on the dynamics of the accidents, which could support education and safety campaigns, especially since the majority of traffic victims are pedestrians and motorcyclists.

The government has promised that a transport safety commission is to be set up to investigate the causes of fatal road accidents. The measure forms part of a wider plan to tackle the crisis on Malta’s roads.

Meanwhile, bicycle advocacy group Rota has mapped out the road deaths on its website.

It notes, among other things, that the current road infrastructure in the country has become inadequate and dangerous.

“The high number of road deaths on Maltese roads is a result of the systemic failure of legislation, enforcement and infrastructure,” Rota said.

“The government must take swift action to address this issue and ensure the safety of all road users.”