Two women were among the nine people who perished in motor vehicle crashes during the week of May 14-20 according to the latest statistics released on Friday by the Road Safety Unit (RSU).

This has pushed the number of people killed in traffic collisions since the start of the year to 178.

The two women who died during the course of the week are a 21 year-old pillion rider and the driver of a private motor car who was 50.

Also killed were three motorcyclists, a pedestrian and three other private motor car drivers.

A closer look at the overall statistics show that the 178 fatalities to date resulted from 157 fatal crashes.

On a more positive note, fatal crashes have decreased by four per cent while fatalities have decreased by three per cent when compared with the similar period in 2021.

However, while the projection at the start of the year was for fatalities to decrease by eight per cent, the RSU said this figure has been revised downwards to five per cent based on the trend in the first quarter of the year.

The RSU is also reporting that pedestrian deaths since the start of the year account for 21 per cent of the overall statistics.

A further breakdown of the statistics shows the following:

-Motorcyclists account for 26 per cent of the road users killed as at May 20.

· Drivers of private motor vehicles account for 24 per cent of the road users killed as at May 20.

· Private motor vehicle passengers account for 13 per cent of the fatalities.

· Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, pedalcyclists, motorcyclists and pillion riders) account for 55 per cent of all road users killed since the start of the year.

The RSU said that overall, 47 motorcyclists died as a result of 47 fatal motorcycle crashes as at May 20. The figure for this vulnerable category of road users is down 25 per cent when compared with the similar period in 2021.

Since the start of the year there have been 16 multiple fatal collisions which have resulted in 32 deaths.