Filenews 17 November 2025 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
Motorcyclists are paying a heavy price on the asphalt, while it is possible, for the second year in a row, that fatal road collisions will remain on the rise. According to data from the Traffic Department of the Police Headquarters, this year there were 40 fatalities with 40 fatalities, while throughout 2024 there were 36 fatal road collisions with 41 fatalities. It is estimated, unfortunately, that this year by the end of the year, road deaths will exceed those of last year.
What emerges effortlessly from the analysis of the Traffic Police data is that with the advent of cameras in 2022 and onwards, speeding has ceased to be the first cause of death on the roads, as has the crossing of a red light. Careless and negligent driving that refers to the use of a mobile phone while driving and the non-observance of the left side of the road which also refers to carelessness due to a mobile phone took their place. It is unbelievable from the numbers given to us by the director of the Traffic Police, Haris Evripidou, how many fatal accidents occurred attributed to the use of a mobile phone while driving.
Proceeding to an analysis of this year's fatalities, which is still a month and a half away, the numbers are relentless and show that seemingly "small" mistakes while driving cost lives. What seems to be that a carelessness that we as drivers may consider insignificant, can at the same time cost a life. For example, as Mr. Evripidou pointed out, while a driver is moving in his path, he suddenly moves to the right, crosses the dividing line and enters the other side. And this, for the most part, is due to the use of mobile phones.
Let's take things from the beginning. This year until 14/11/2025 we had 40 dead compared to 41 last year in 36 accidents. 2023 was the year with the fewest deaths recorded since data are kept. At that time, there were 32 fatalities with 34 deaths. In 2022 we had 37 fatalities with 35 fatalities, in 2021, 44 fatalities with 45 fatalities and in 2020, 48 fatalities with 48 fatalities. The reduction in deaths on the roads began with the arrival of cameras on 1/1/2022 which continued in '23. However, from last year onwards, there was a significant increase, which is attributed to many factors that are not only related to cameras.
Sad first place
Limassol holds the sad first place in the number of fatalities, since it records 14 deaths this year, while last year it had shown a decrease compared to 2023. It is followed by Nicosia with 11 fatalities, Larnaca with 8, Paphos with 4, Famagusta with 2 and Morphou with 1 dead.
This year's element that particularly worries the Traffic Police is that for the first time the dead motorcycle drivers exceeded the dead vehicle drivers. This element in itself changes all the data so far and leads the management of the Traffic Police to change its plans and turn its attention to this category of drivers.
As this year's data shows, the dead drivers of vehicles amounted to 13, while the victims who were driving motorcycles amounted to 15, of which 8 were young people under the age of 25. Two dead were passengers in vehicles. This, according to the director of the Traffic Police, has the explanation of why: This year, the weather conditions also contributed to the extensive use of motorcycles, as a result of which they were on the roads for a longer period of time than last year. Also, this year it was observed that in some cases, the drivers who lost their lives had a motorcycle driving license but for a smaller displacement. That is, some drove larger motorcycles than their driver's license allowed, as a result of which they did not have the necessary experience.
This year, 8 victims were pedestrians, which shows a decrease compared to last year when we lost 12 of our fellow human beings on the streets. This has its explanation, since according to Mr. Evripidou, Traffic Police campaigns were carried out in schools and in organized groups as well as in public, for the correct intersection of the road. Last year, almost half of the pedestrians lost their lives because they crossed the road.
Of the 40 dead this year, 14 were foreigners, either tourists, workers or visitors. Also, 2 dead were cyclists. Another important element recorded this year is that 11 of the 40 victims were young people up to 25 years old.
Mobile phones kill, proven
If someone looks at the reasons why we lost 40 lives on the roads this year, they will be surprised. Twelve people lost their lives due to careless driving or distraction, which may have been contributed to by other drivers. If we add to this the eight deaths due to non-observance of the left side, which are largely attributed to the use of a mobile phone at that time, then it seems that 20 lives, i.e. half of this year's deaths, are caused by the mobile phone.
From speeding, which used to be one of the first causes of death, we had two deaths, another 3 from excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs and 15 dead from other causes or violations within the city. As it turns out, most fatalities occur within cities or on roads that connect cities with suburbs, which is why controls should focus on these points.
A parameter that the Traffic Police is examining and noted by its director, is that motorcyclists manage, while being reported by the cameras, not to be detected either because they do not have registration plates or because they are not recognizable. In the event that they are spotted by Traffic Patrols, they should be pursued, which carries risks of losing lives.
Finally, Mr. Evripidou, commenting on the fact that many fatalities occur in residential areas, said that these are mainly due to "small" violations that cost lives. As such are the reversal, the right turn or the partial entry of the vehicle into the opposite direction due to carelessness.
