Filenews 15 June 2022 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
A dangerous combination is the use of drugs and speed with tragic consequences.
The recent fatal accident that occurred in the free province of Famagusta, involving a 68-year-old Israeli tourist who was riding a scooter and a 26-year-old driver who tested positive for amphetamines, shows the scale of the problem. According to data from the Traffic Police, every year five of our fellow human beings who were under the influence of drugs or alcohol are killed.
However, the problem of drug use and driving is getting worse, since every month the Traffic Police detects and denounces more than 100 drivers who get behind the wheel while they have used drugs. Characteristic of the situation is that this year until May 31, 520 drivers were reported after a narcotest. It is noted that testing for drug use by drivers is targeted and is not widely done like an alcohol test, due to the cost of tests. The members of the Traffic Police are trained and understand from the behaviour of a driver, whether he is likely to be under the influence of substances or not.
"F" asked for data maintained by the Traffic Police in relation to drug and alcohol controls while driving. As the Police spokesman, Christos Andreou, informed us, this year (until May) 14,278 alcohol checks were carried out and 1,164 complaints were made. According to the law, when a driver is spotted with alcohol or drugs then he is arrested and a file is formed that is registered with the Court. In particular for drug cases, the Courts impose prison sentences.
According to the data of the Traffic Police:
>> In 2021, 703 drivers who had used drugs before or even while driving were reported, while in terms of alcohol, 27,953 checks were carried out which resulted in 2,311 complaints.
>> In 2020, 43,376 alcohol checks were carried out and 3,911 drivers were reported.
>> In 2019, the members of the Traffic Police carried out 80,644 checks and 7,188 drivers were reported.
It is noted that in 2020 and 2021 controls decreased due to the pandemic and the restrictions on movements imposed.
Yesterday on the issue of drug use by drivers, the assistant director of the Traffic Police, Haris Evripidou, said that it is found that the more checks the Traffic Police makes, the more people it finds that drive having consumed various drugs. "As Police and seeing what is happening on the roads we are very concerned about the combination of substance use with driving," he said. He added that, unfortunately, in Cyprus we still do not secure our lives either with the seat belt or with the protective helmet, or with other means that exist. If we do not put them into use every time, every day, there will be fatal accidents.
Black weekend
Meanwhile, a black three-day event was that of Kataklysmos for the Traffic Police, since from last Saturday until Sunday night, three fatal accidents occurred, while a 19-year-old motorcyclist is intubated in the hospital. With the last three victims, the death toll on the asphalt amounted to 19, in 18 accidents since the beginning of the year. Compared to last year's numbers, the toll of road accidents increased significantly, as in the corresponding period in 2021, 13 fatalities were recorded with 14 dead fellow human beings.
The first fatal incident occurred at 8 a.m. last Saturday, when a 52-year-old moped driver Andreas Hadjifilippou entered the main road of the Sotira industrial area from a lane, when under conditions that are being investigated, he was hit and swept away by a saloon car driven by a 46-year-old, also a Greek Cypriot, which was heading towards the Sotira – Liopetri road, coming from the right side. The injured man was taken to the hospital where his death was found.
The second occurred on Sunday night with the victim being 59-year-old Merab Maglakelidze from Georgia, who was swept away by a vehicle whose driver then left the scene. The driver was finally arrested yesterday and will be taken to court. According to Michalis Nikolaou, head of the Pafos ICF, the unscrupulous driver was identified by the Police. He is a 36-year-old, from Sri Lanka, a permanent resident of Cyprus.
The third fatality involving a 68-year-old Tziv Poghal visitor from Israel occurred on Sunday night when a vehicle in Ayia Napa swept away his electric scooter. The unlucky 68-year-old was riding an electric scooter on Nissi Avenue towards Agia Thekla.
According to the spokesman of the Famagusta Police Department, Steve Theodoulou, the Israeli entered the oncoming traffic and as a result he collided with a car driven by a 26-year-old Greek Cypriot who was driving in the opposite direction from the course of the scooter. It is the second death of a scooter driver, after the fatal injury of a Pole in Limassol in 2019.
The 26-year-old driver of the vehicle was subjected to a preliminary alcohol test with zero indication and a narcotest test tested positive for amphetamines.
