Filenews 23 December 2023
Fatal road collisions have decreased by 17% this year and fatalities by -16%, which, combined with last year's decrease of 18%, send encouraging signals for continued efforts to achieve the target of an overall reduction of 50% by 2030.
This year has seen the largest decrease in deaths on roads since statistics are kept, with 29 fatalities with 31 fatalities compared to 35 fatalities and 37 fatalities last year, which was the best year in terms of reducing casualties on asphalt.
Encouraging are the large decrease in deaths recorded in the Limassol district and the also significant decrease in motorcycle deaths. The minuses are the increased deaths on the Larnaka-Kofinou motorway and the fact that nine of our fellow human beings were killed with the main cause being the use of mobile phones while driving.
This year, according to the assistant police director of the Traffic Department at the Police Headquarters, Haris Evripidou, there is a significant decrease in deaths in road collisions, which is due to many factors that will be analyzed in the coming days. If everything goes smoothly in the coming days, he said, without any more victims, then this year we will have the fewest fatalities in road accidents.
According to the data of the Traffic Police provided to "F" by Mr. Evripidou, in all districts there is a decrease in deaths on the roads, with Limassol being the first one, except Larnaka. Specifically, this year in the Nicosia district we had seven deaths compared to eight last year. Limassol recorded the largest decrease since last year we had 14 deaths while this year seven. In Larnaka we have four more deaths than last year, since from six recorded in '22, this year they reached 10. The peculiarity with Larnaka is that it had two double fatalities on the highway to Kofinou.
In Famagusta we had two fatalities compared to five last year, in Paphos there was no change since we had as many last year (four) as we had this year, while in the district of Morphou there were no fatal road accidents.
As for the causes of fatal road collisions, the first remains, according to the Traffic Police officer, careless driving related to the use of a mobile phone while driving. Nine of our fellow human beings were killed, Mr. Evripidou stressed, because they had their attention focused on their cell phones. Also, 12 people died because they violated a traffic signal, two pedestrians were killed because they intersected the road carelessly, while four were killed due to speeding.
The decrease in deaths on the roads is largely attributed to the advent of the photo-labelling system but also to the measures taken by all involved departments with targeted campaigns, the creation of the "Z" team of motorcyclists and increased patrols.
Reduction in motorcycle deaths
It seems that the campaigns concerning motorcyclists have borne fruit, since it is with relief that the Traffic Police and the Police in general, saw the deaths of this category of drivers significantly reduced.
From nine motorcycle drivers last year and two passengers, this year they have been reduced to four. The largest decrease is recorded in Limassol, where specific actions are taken by the local Traffic Police and motorcycle associations.
As far as pedestrians are concerned, this year we had seven victims on the asphalt compared to six last year, while the burden is heavy for drivers and passengers of saloon vehicles, since this year we count 13 dead drivers and five passengers. Most did not wear seat belts.
Remarkable of the year that will soon say goodbye to us is the fact that in the months of February, June and August we had no deaths, while the worst month of 2023 is January with six deaths. The main hours of fatal accidents are from 12 noon to midnight.
Also, traffic police data shows that four of the 31 fatalities this year were under 25 years old, while 12 victims of the asphalt or 40% were over 60 years old. Ten of the dead, or 33%, are foreigners (no tourists), while one fatal one occurred with a cyclist victim and one fatal with a person sitting in a wheelchair.
