Road deaths fall, but target still a long way off

DESPITE a slight decrease in road deaths in 2008 compared to the year before, the state is still a long way off from achieving EU goals to halve road fatalities by 2010.

The increase in fines and stepping up of police campaigns to reduce road accidents didn’t bring the desired results for 2008.

According to the police, there were 77 fatal road accidents in 2008, which resulted in 80 deaths.

There was a reduction compared to the year before, when there were 88 fatal accidents with 89 deaths – a 12 per cent decrease in accidents and 11.5 per cent reduction in road-related deaths.

There were no road deaths over the Christmas holidays. One National Guard conscript died on December 23 and another young soldier died on New Year’s Day.

The Justice Minister has admitted that Cyprus will have trouble fulfilling the EU aim to reduce road fatalities by 50 per cent by the year 2010 (the goal was set in 2003).

But the fact that recent research has shown that even the most traffic-conscious states may have problems achieving the goal has triggered the idea of extending the deadline to 2015

Meanwhile, traffic fines increased by 31.85 per cent in 2008, earning the state and local authorities over €20 million.

These figures are set to increase dramatically in 2009, with plans to re-operate the traffic camera system.

Up until early December 2008, last year saw 220,402 fines issued, of which 172,760 were settled. Of the €10,259,493.12 total, €6,316,117.38 went to the state and €3,943,375.74 to the local authorities.

The majority of fines were issued because of excessive speeding – there was a 48.53 per cent increase in speeding fines during 2008, compared to the year before, reaching 98,429.

Failure to wear a seatbelt was the second most common fine, increasing by 54.83 per cent compared to 2007. Speaking on the mobile phone increased by 26.39 per cent, drink driving increased by 6.37 per cent and failure to wear a helmet increased by 32.83 per cent.

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.