‘Drastic measures’ needed to curb drunk driving

By Constantinos Psillides

Road safety NGO “REACTION Youth for the prevention” chairman Marios Stavrou suggested on Friday that drivers repeatedly caught drunk or speeding should have their driving licence revoked for six months, without the case going to court.

“It is a drastic measure but unfortunately drastic changes are needed in preventing road accidents,” said Stavrou, adding that drunk driving and speeding remained the leading causes of fatal road accidents.

Stavrou said all drivers caught drunk driving and those found speeding over 35 per cent of the speed limit should automatically have their licence revoked for six months. He also proposes that if the same driver is caught repeating the offence after the six month sentence has expired, to have his licence revoked for a year and in case he/she causes a fatal road accident –while intoxicated or speeding- to permanently lose their licence.

On December 2013 police released data on road accidents, showing a significant drop compared to previous years.

The decrease marks the continuation of a declining trend in the number of fatal accidents since 2011.

In 2013 the total number of fatal crashes in Cyprus was 41, marking a 19.6 per cent decrease over the previous year, with 44 fatalities, which denotes a 13.73 per cent drop relative to 2012.

In 2011 there were 67 fatal accidents resulting in 71 deaths, which was n increase on 2010 when there were 56 fatal accidents resulting in 60 deaths.

The steady decline in fatal road crashes since 2011 suggests Cyprus is well on its way to meeting the European Commission’s target of reducing road accident deaths by 50 per cent by 2020, relative to 2010 numbers.

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.