Enforcement is the key to road safety

Sir,
You recently carried an article in which police spokesman Demetris Demetrious complained about the high number of fatal and serious road accidents in Cyprus. He said that the public had to change their attitude. He is right, but after nearly 30 years’ experience in the police in Scotland, I can advise him that the public will not change their attitude unless they are made to. That means the police must enforce the law. It is heartening to note that they are having a clampdown on drunk-driving, but what happens the rest of the time? In most European countries, speed is the principal cause of accidents. In Cyprus, there is no doubt that it will be a major factor, but there are other causes such as cars being allowed to park on pavements (thus forcing pedestrians to walk onto the road), at junctions (reducing visibility) or on zig-zag lines at crossings. I have yet to see any action being taken about this.

When you are involved in an accident your chances of survival are greatly increased by wearing a seatbelt or a crash helmet. Enforcement of the seat belt laws would go a long way to reducing fatalities. In Scotland, it was estimated that each road fatality cost the economy £1 million when all the costs, e.g. police, ambulance, hospital, car insurance, life insurance etc. are taken into account. Maybe the police could start by concentrating on those grossly irresponsible people who allow children to stand on car seats. Children don’t know any better — their parents should.

In Paphos, less than 50 per cent of motor cycle riders wear helmets. I saw an incident a few days ago as I waited to cross a road. A motor scooter was coming from my left. It wasn’t just the rider who wasn’t wearing a helmet. Neither of his two passengers were either. I looked to my right and saw a police car approaching. They’ll do something about this, I thought. I was wrong, they cruised on as if nothing was amiss.

It’s easy to blame the public – it is their fault after all, but it is the job of the police to do something about it.

Steven Horrocks, Paphos

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.