Filenews 5 March 2021
The Police have been active on a pan-Cypriot basis with coordinated actions and operations over the last 24 hours to prevent serious and fatal traffic collisions.
During traffic checks across Cyprus, the Department of Traffic Headquarters and the Provincial Police Directorates made more than 450 complaints about various traffic violations, such as exceeding the speed limit, using a mobile phone while driving, driving without a seatbelt, and violations related to driver and vehicle documents.
Among other things, a total of 280 speed limit violations were detected by police members, while 33 drivers and passengers of vehicles did not carry a seatbelt and 16 persons were driving with non-free hands, using a mobile phone and other objects. There were also 25 traffic signal infringements, including traffic lights offences, as well as 20 vehicle parking offences.
Six persons who were driving vehicles without being covered by an insurance certificate, 3 persons driving vehicles with their driver's licence expired, 8 persons found to be driving vehicles without a certificate of conformity and 6 persons driving vehicles registered in the TOM as immobilised. Another 23 persons were found to be driving vehicles without a registration in force.
A typical incident that occurred during the traffic checks occurred at around 2.00 yesterday afternoon, on the Larnaca – Ayia Napa highway, in the area of Xylophagos, where members of the local Police Station spotted a 19-year-old driving a car at a speed of 177 km. It was subsequently established that the 19-year-old did not hold a driving licence and was not covered by an insurance certificate. A passenger in the vehicle was its 25-year-old owner, who was also charged after allowing the 19-year-old to drive the vehicle without a driver's license and without an insurance certificate.
In Limassol, ten minutes after midnight, members of the Limassol Traffic Police stopped for inspection a car driven by a 40-year-old man, on Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, violating the red light at the intersection with George Averof Street. The 40-year-old, who did not have a seatbelt, was subjected to a driving test under the influence of alcohol, with a final reading of 85μg%, instead of 9μg% which is the permitted limit for young drivers. The 40-year-old obtained a driver's license a year ago.
Positive for a preliminary test for driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs, a 22-year-old man, who was driving a car on a Paphos road just before 9.00 on Thursday night, was identified and stopped for testing by members of Group "Z", Paphos Traffic Police. Traffic police initially stopped the 22-year-old driver after his vehicle's headlights were not working properly, but after suspicions were raised that he was under the influence of drugs, they subjected him to a drug test, with a positive preliminary result, and the final result of a scientific drug test is expected.
In addition to traffic checks, it is worth noting that the members of the Police in the last 24 hours were called and provided road assistance to 7 vehicle drivers.
The coordinated actions of the Police continue in the context of efforts to prevent serious and fatal road collisions and to ensure good road awareness.
Source: eyenews
