Filenews 26 May 2025 - by Ioanna Mantziapa
Potential victims of fatal road accidents seem to be food distributors, as the issue of fast delivery often takes precedence over safety and their own lives.
In an effort to save precious seconds, several of the distributors proceed to dangerous manoeuvres, overtake from the left, pass at a red light and often move on sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and one-way streets, defying that for an order, they may lose their lives.
On the occasion of the new fatal car accident that occurred on Sunday evening, with a 21-year-old food delivery man as a victim, Filenews contacted the Director of the Traffic Department of the Police Headquarters, Haris Evripidou, who analyzed the causes behind the frequent collisions with food delivery victims.
3 out of 7 dead distributors
According to Mr. Evripidou, from the beginning of 2025 until today, 7 fatal collisions with motorcyclists have been recorded, of which 3 were food distributors. The main cause of accidents, he explains, is overtaking from the left, an extremely dangerous manoeuvre that often leads to tragedies.
"In general, motorcyclists are more vulnerable to the road network, and especially dealers who use the motorcycle professionally. When we look at the kilometers they travel and the time they travel on the roads, it is understandable why they have an increased number of traffic accidents," notes Mr. Evripidou.
Distributors are not always to blame
It is worth noting that distributors are not always solely responsible for accidents. As the Director of Traffic Police of the Headquarters mentions, there are many cases where the responsibility lies with other drivers, who ignore the presence of motorcyclists or do not follow basic road safety rules.
The culture of "the faster, the better" seems to have dominated the distributor space. Most use GPS apps, which guide them to the shortest route, often without regard to safety. In many cases, distributors pass red traffic lights, make dangerous manoeuvres or move on sidewalks, just to catch the next order.
The use of mobile phones is another aggravating factor in the daily life of food distributors. As they constantly use apps for the fastest delivery route, their attention is distracted from the road, significantly increasing the risk of an accident.
The same, as Mr. Evripidou points out, also applies to car drivers. "Unfortunately, we see the same behaviour on the part of vehicle drivers, in many cases to an even worse extent."
On the one hand, distributors take risks to catch orders and on the other hand, drivers often pay no attention to the presence of motorcyclists. For this reason, strict fines have been introduced, underlines the Director of Traffic Police of the Headquarters.
"Unfortunately, the issue of profit comes into the equation. The more orders they receive, the more money they will make. To get more deliveries, that means they take more risks. For this reason, there are also higher rates of traffic collisions with food delivery companies."
Another serious problem that emerges is the lack of knowledge of the Road Traffic Code by some distributors, especially those who use electric bicycles or mopeds, many times without even having passed exams or having a driver's license. With a bike, the order may be delayed for a while, however, the distributor will make his living wage.
According to Mr. Evripidou, in order to issue a motorcycle or moped driving license, they must pass a test. "The fact that they are using the moped to distribute food means that they have to be very careful."
Information campaigns and audits
The Police, as Mr. Evripidou notes, has periodically proceeded with information campaigns and the issuance of leaflets, with the aim of raising awareness among distributors. At the same time, checks are being carried out by the Traffic Police, although – as it seems – the problem is not easy to contain. "We have issued various information leaflets from time to time and we are trying to raise awareness and inform them. On the other hand, policing is carried out for control purposes. We are trying, through the food distribution platforms, to get in touch and help a little bit with the problem that exists. We hope that they will respond positively."
Dangerous overtaking from the left
Asked to take a position on overtaking from the left, something that happened in the fatal accident the day before yesterday and if it is something that happens often, Mr. Euripides noted that "it is extremely dangerous for someone to overtake from the left and that is why it is forbidden. For vehicles to be stopped and someone passes very slowly and carefully is another. However, trying to overtake from the left while other vehicles are moving, in order to reach faster, results in the other driver not being able to perceive him. We have several conflicts in this way and we also have deadly ones."
