The increase in road traffic casualties cannot be ignored

NSO statistics show that road traffic accidents increased in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, while casualties rose by 16% – immediate action is needed to improve road safety

The latest figures on road traffic accidents on our roads should be a cause for serious concern and require immediate, coordinated action to ensure that road safety truly becomes a national priority.

According to the latest NSO statistics, 4,072 road traffic accidents were reported between April and June of this year, representing an increase over the second quarter of last year, while the number of people injured also rose by 16% to 398. Of these, 146 suffered grievous injuries, while tragically three people lost their lives.

Behind every one of these figures is a person, a family and people whose lives can change in a matter of seconds.

Our thoughts go first and foremost to the victims of these accidents and their families. Every serious injury and every life lost on our roads is one too many.

But this alarming increase in road traffic accidents and in the number of people injured on our roads must also serve as a clear call for immediate action.

We need to move from a system that too often reacts after an accident has happened to one that prevents accidents before they occur.

This problem must also be viewed in a broader context. Every accident on our roads means closed lanes, interventions by the Police and emergency services, additional congestion, delays to public transport and added pressure on other roads.

In a country where traffic is already placing considerable pressure on families, workers and businesses, road safety and reducing congestion cannot be treated as two separate issues.

This must include greater physical and visible enforcement by the authorities, with a focus on the locations, times and behaviours where the data shows the greatest risk. At the same time, we need to make far better use of technology. Intelligent CCTV and AI systems should be installed at problematic junctions so that incidents can be detected immediately, while data analysis should be used to direct enforcement to where it is genuinely needed. European evidence shows that targeted enforcement and automated technology can be effective tools in reducing accidents.

Technology can also be used to ensure that, once an accident occurs, the authorities are alerted immediately, intervention is faster, the road is reopened in the shortest possible time and drivers receive real-time information on alternative routes. Improving response times can make the difference between life and death.

This is not technology of the future – the potential of intelligent systems such as CCTV, dynamic message signs and centralised traffic management systems already exists. What is needed now is for these tools to be used in a more integrated, intelligent and effective manner, while making better use of data to improve safety and prevent further casualties.

There is no single solution to Malta’s traffic problem. We need safer infrastructure, more effective enforcement, modern technology, education and genuine alternatives to the private car.

Because reducing accidents does not only reduce congestion – above all, it saves lives. And that is where every mobility policy should begin.

Ivan Castillo
Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility

13.08.2026