A MAN from Oroklini has become the first driver to have his driving licence suspended after accumulating more than the maximum 12 points for driving offences. Larnaca District Court fined the driver £50 and suspended his licence for two months after he amassed 14 points, two over the 12-point ceiling.
Traffic police official Yiannakis Kelepeshis told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that many other drivers had also reached the limit but were awaiting a court appearance.
The new points system came into operation on January 1, 2001 as part of a police campaign to cut down the island’s woeful road accident rate – at the time the third worst in Europe.
Traffic Police have warned drivers and their employers in the past that once a driver’s licence is suspended, they are no longer under insurance and put themselves at great risk if they continue to drive.
Drivers are liable to be fined and have penalty points added on for specific traffic violations. An accumulated total of 12 points gives a court the discretion to suspend a driver’s licence for a period of up to six months, said Kelepeshis.
There are two gradations for penalty point administration: maximum and minimum. Police can only impose the minimum number of points, but offenders contesting the penalty in court could end up with maximum points if they lose their appeal. Penalty points expire two years after the date on which the last offence was committed.
According to Phileleftheros, around 70,000 drivers have already received points on their licence, while 5,000 of those are in the danger zone with over eight points.
Offenders face the following range of points:
Breaking the speed limit by 25 to 50 per cent: minimum 2, maximum 4. Breaking the speed limit by 50 per cent or more: min 3, max 6. Thoughtless or dangerous driving: min3, max 6. Careless driving: min 2, max 4. Driving under the influence of alcohol: min 3, max 6. Ignoring traffic light signals: min 2, max 4. Causing death due to unreasonable, thoughtless or dangerous action: min 5, max 10. Motorcyclists not wearing a helmet: min 1, max 2 in built-up areas; min 2, max 4 outside built-up areas.
Not wearing seatbelt outside built-up areas: min 2, max 4.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
