A NEW plan from the Communications Ministry will include tougher laws for alcohol tests on drivers in Cyprus.
Under pressure to meet European regulations, which currently sees Cyprus at the bottom of the list of nations when it come to alcohol level acceptance for driving, Cyprus currently allows a limit of 39 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath and a limit of 90 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, which would roughly allow a driver to consume three or four glasses before driving.
The new bill, however, almost slashes the limit by 50 per cent allowing just 22 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. Police, however, still advise drivers not to drink alcohol at all before driving. Traffic police revealed that 20 per cent of fatal traffic accidents had drivers with alcohol levels in their blood either within or above the allowed limits.
Barry Faulkner of the Road Safety and Advanced Driving Society (ROADS) in Cyprus believes that the new law is definitely a positive step, “Any kind of action to increase the laws in drink driving is definitely a step in the right direction. Alcohol can even contribute to an accident even though the driver may not be over the limit.”
Despite the welcomed new bill by law officials, the bill also raises some questions as to how people will be able to get around especially with the minimal options of transportation in Cyprus.
In the UK, for example, many people have the option of using buses or underground metro systems whereas in Cyprus the only means of transport, especially in the evenings, is using a taxi which can be expensive, especially from one town to another.
Faulkner believes that increasing public transport in Cyprus could have a negative effect as well.
“I suppose that if you increase the transport system in Cyprus you could face possible downsides such as higher taxes. Not everyone in the United Kingdom use public transport if they want to go out and drink. Another option is designated drivers – when say a group of people go out and a driver is selected who doesn’t drink any alcohol that evening.”
Driving over the limit of alcohol allowed in Cyprus can result in three to four points taken off your license but that can still result in a large fine if the case goes to court.
