Filenews 18 March 2021
A total of nine cases of drug driving under investigation have emerged following checks carried out by the police over the past week. During traffic checks between 10 March and 17 March, nine vehicle drivers, aged between 24 and 45, were positive for a preliminary drug test.
One of the drivers, aged 35 years, after a tip received from a citizen that he was driving his vehicle recklessly and dangerously on the Limassol– Nicosia motorway, at the height of Skarinou, was immediately spotted by members of the Road Accident Prevention Team – OPOD, at the height of Kofinou, where he was moving at a speed of 160 km. He was stopped and then subjected to a preliminary drug-fuelled driving test with a positive result. The incident happened last Friday, March 12, just before 4 p.m.
In another case, a 32-year-old driver, who tested positive for a preliminary drug test, was also found to be driving his vehicle with an expired learner driver's licence and without being covered by an insurance certificate. The 32-year-old was driving the vehicle on a road in Chloraka on the evening of Thursday, March 11, when it was stopped by members of Paphos Traffic Police.
Of the total of nine drivers under investigation for drug driving, two refused to undergo drug testing. The first, aged 26, was also driving his vehicle on a road in Chloraka, just before 1.00 am last Tuesday, March 16, when he was stopped by members of the Crime Prevention Team - OPE Paphos. The second driver, aged in his 30s, was also stopped for inspection by OPE members on a road in Konia, where he was driving his vehicle shortly after 7.30 last night. He showed symptoms of drug use, but refused to undergo a drug test.
The two drivers were informed by the members of the Police that they would be registered for trial in the District Court, cases of refusal to provide a sample for preliminary testing of driving under the influence of drugs.
Of the nine cases that have arisen in the last week, five have arisen in Paphos province, two in Limassol and the other two in Larnaca and Nicosia separately.
Substances such as drugs and alcohol have been shown to contribute to reducing the mental and psychological effort made while driving and reducing the performance and skills of the driver, thus increasing the risk of a traffic collision.
The Cyprus Police places particular emphasis on this phenomenon and with daily checks and campaigns, as well as constant information to the public, focuses its efforts on tackling the problem, with the aim of preventing serious and fatal traffic collisions.
Source: eyenews
