Filenews 31 December 2022
Police complaints about traffic offences are recording record numbers this year, while in some cases checks have doubled compared to last year. As of November 31, 2022, a total of 162,000 driver complaints about traffic violations had been made. If the 144,000 complaints from the Traffic Police cameras are counted, then the complaints this year exceed 300,000. That is, about one in three residents got an out-of-court complaint or was reported for a violation behind the wheel.
As Police spokesman Christos Andreou told "F", alcohol checks almost doubled this year compared to last year, since in 2021 there were 25,372 checks that resulted in 2,093 complaints compared to 47,628 checks made this year from which 4,020 complaints emerged.
As far as the drug test is concerned, 1,047 checks were carried out by the end of November and 818 drivers were reported, while last year 950 driver checks were carried out, bringing 650 driver complaints. As far as speeding is concerned, last year there were 103,767 complaints while this year 70,353, another 6,863 complaints this year concern a seat belt (in 2021 there were 6,332 complaints) while 1,122 motorcyclists got an out-of-court complaint this year because they did not wear their helmet compared to 1,256 last year. As for the bad habit of driving with the mobile in hand, last year there were 6,884 complaints and this year 6,816.
According to Mr Andreou, all these checks, together with the road traffic collision prevention campaigns and the operation of the cameras, have contributed to the apparent reduction of road fatalities by eight deaths. According to him, the decrease in Cyprus recorded this year is one of the largest in the European Union. According to Eurostat data, the average number of deaths in the EU is 44.1 per million inhabitants, while in our country it is 37.
The police spokesman also stressed that the Police made many efforts this year to reduce traffic collisions, both in the field of prevention and repression. On the subject of prevention, he said that lectures in schools and camps were intensified, students visited the Traffic Education Park, events were held and the public was informed through social networks about the need for defensive driving. Regarding the suppression of traffic offenses, the Chief of Police created the "Z" team in each province where he carries out road checks on motorcycles. Mr. Andreou pointed out that cameras have helped reduce deaths on the roads, but this year a collective effort was made by all co-competent services and private organizations with campaigns (such as motorcyclists) that brought results.
To the teamwork done by all services and individuals, the Minister of Transport Giannis Karousos attributes the reduction of fatalities on the asphalt.
While in Europe there is an increase in fatal accidents by 6%, in Cyprus this year we record a significant decrease, he says and adds that this is also due to the cameras, but primarily to the collective work done by the Ministry of Transport, the Department of Public Works, the Police and private bodies, such as motorcyclist associations.
Enumerating a series of actions taken this year, Mr. Karousos referred to the passage of legislation on the control of scooters and bicycles as well as the obligation to wear a helmet, the control by the TFT of the routes of examiner drivers via GPS, the adoption of legislation so that advertisements related to vehicles also carry a message about road safety, as well as the increase in the road safety envelope which went from €100,000 to one million. The ministry's intention, he said, is for the Road Safety Unit to be upgraded and become a Directorate.
"They all worked this year, as a team and the Ministry of Transport and the Police and volunteers and liaisons, which is why we had these very positive results," the ministry's political head said.
