Distracted driving has been identified as a significant factor in road safety in Cyprus, with nineteen of the forty-three fatalities this year attributed to drivers using mobile phones or failing to pay attention.
This alarming statistic was presented to the road safety council by Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades and newly appointed Justice Minister Constantinos Fitiris during a recent meeting. Vafeades stated that the scale of deaths linked directly to mobile phones is unacceptable and called for an urgent meeting of the council in January to discuss immediate measures to tackle this issue.
Vafeades emphasised that every driver must recognise that using a phone while driving endangers not only themselves but also their families and everyone else on the road. He noted that distracted driving has become a major threat, particularly to pedestrians and cyclists, who are often the most vulnerable.
The discussion surrounding road safety has intensified, highlighted by recent motions to regulate the use of vehicle dashcams. Stavros Papadouris, leader of the Ecologists, presented a bill to the parliamentary transport committee aimed at creating a legal framework for dashcams, which are widely used but currently unregulated. He pointed out that the lack of legislation poses a crisis, risking significant breaches of data protection rules.
Supported by the transport ministry, police, and insurance companies, the proposal seeks to allow dashcams to capture vital information that can aid in investigating fatal accidents. Papadouris acknowledged the complexity of the legislation but stressed the need for coordination among all relevant services to ensure its successful implementation.
Vafeades warned that recent accidents, including one near a primary school and another involving a container truck colliding with a tanker on the highway, reflect typical patterns of distraction. He stressed that policing alone would not resolve the problem and that structural changes are necessary to reduce speeds, particularly in high-traffic areas near schools.
Potential solutions being considered by Vafeades’ council include narrower lanes, redesigned crossings, and physical barriers to improve road safety and protect vulnerable road users. The ongoing dialogue among ministers, police, and transport officials reflects a concerted effort to address the rising concern of distracted driving and its deadly consequences.
