Three people die each year on Cyprus roads in work-related crashes, accounting for 8% of road deaths over the past three years, according to a new European road safety report released today.
- Three people die each year on Cyprus roads in work-related crashes, accounting for 8% of road deaths over the past three years, according to a new European road safety report released today.
The report, part of the 49th edition of the Road Safety PIN programme by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), highlights the alarming trend of fatalities stemming from work-related incidents on the road. Victims are predominantly food delivery riders, lorry drivers, and those operating other goods transport vehicles, as noted by Giorgos Morfakis, Cyprus’s representative to the programme.
One of the report’s key findings is the lack of a common definition for work-related road crashes across the EU. This gap complicates efforts to accurately quantify the number of road victims. Data from 16 European states indicates that between 30% and 40% of total road deaths are work-related, suggesting that annual fatalities in the EU could reach as high as 8,000.
Interestingly, Cyprus is among ten states that currently do not have a national definition for work-related road crashes. Furthermore, the report reveals that in 16 participating states, including Cyprus, police reports lack a dedicated field for documenting work-related road incidents.
Despite these challenges, Cyprus shows positive engagement with legal obligations related to road safety. The nation, alongside 18 other states, is compliant with regulations concerning employer responsibilities and self-employed individuals. Additionally, it aligns with ten other states regarding the processes involved in vehicle acquisition and leasing.
The ETSC has raised concerns about the EU’s overall approach to work-related road safety, asserting that the issue is not receiving the attention it warrants. In response, they have issued several recommendations aimed at improving the situation. They advocate for a clear national definition of work-related road crashes that would encompass deaths and serious injuries among professional drivers, commuters, and third parties. The report also calls for comprehensive data collection on annual road deaths and injuries, as well as the establishment of a system to connect data from coroners’ reports, health and safety records, and road safety services.
To enhance road safety for workers, the ETSC recommends that employers adopt the Safe System approach in their operations and conduct thorough work-related road risk assessments. This proactive stance aims to mitigate the risks faced by those on the road in a professional capacity.
