Filenews 18 March 2021
In the period 2008-2020, 729 of our fellow human beings died in road collisions, 60% of them (drivers and passengers) did not have a seat belt and 54% of motorcycle drivers/passengers did not wear a helmet, according to official data prepared by the Road Safety Advisor of the Minister of Justice, Jason Snekkis.
A total of 10,542 collisions were recorded by the Cyprus Police and 15,173 people were injured.
In 2008 the most deaths were recorded for the period, 82 people and in 2013 the fewest, 44.
Analysing the statistics of fatal conflicts by province, it appears that 221 people died in Nicosia and 212 in Limassol.
The data analysed show that 323 drivers and passengers of cars (237+86) and 224 drivers and motorcycle passengers (207+17) make up 75% of the dead on the roads of Cyprus.
60% of the drivers/passengers of cars who died did not wear a seat belt and 54% of the drivers/motorcycle passengers who died did not wear a safety helmet, which proves that both the belt and the helmet save lives.
Men pay the heaviest price on asphalt, with figures show that 571 (78%) of men pay the highest price for asphalt. men and 158 (22%) women have died on the streets of Cyprus in the last 13 years. Among them, 17 children under the age of 15.
Of the primary factors that caused the fatal road collisions, alcohol with 26%, careless and negligent driving 22% and speeding 12% are the main ones.
'As Mr. Snekkis explained, this recording selects, after investigating the conflict, the factor that contributed to its challenge.
"The severity of the collision and, by extension, the injuries are very much influenced by the speed of the vehicles involved," he stresses.
Mr. Snekkis noted that in each conflict there are additional aggravating factors, which are recorded and analysed.
According to recent studies by the ETSC (European Transport Safety Council), the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and the conclusions of the Executive Seminar for Speed and Speed Management last December, speed is a factor in one third of fatal collisions.
It adds that in London, following a thorough study of the deadly 2019 collisions by the Metropolitan Police, it was found that speed (excessive and unsuitable for prevailing conditions) contributed to the fatal outcome of 50% of the collisions.
"The more one analyses the statistics, the more one reads the news, the announcements and sees the photos that relate to each conflict, the more one realizes that we are not talking about numbers. We're talking about human lives. For families. Parents, brothers, grandparents, children, young people, the elderly. We're talking about human stories. Memories, dreams, weddings, joys, sorrows. As long as one sees and studies the evidence one understands that asphalt does not discriminate. The numbers tell some truths, but the picture is half. It's half, because next to each number is a name," he said.
Source: CYPE
