Road safety lessons for foreign drivers

THE POLICE are to launch a road safety campaign targeting third country nationals after it emerged that 42 per cent of people killed on the tarmac this year have been foreigners.

According to Assistant Director of the Police Traffic Unit Demetris Demetriou, of the 31 fatalities seen so far in 2008, 13 have been foreigners.

Last year, of the 89 people killed, 27 were foreign nationals.

“We don’t want to alarm the many tourists coming to the island by pointing out that most of the victims are from third countries, who were working or studying in Cyprus,” Demetriou said.

“Driving habits here are very different to what they are used to back in their own countries, and the simple fact that many drive on the other side of the road when they come here can lead to serious problems as they are totally unused to it.”

He added that three foreigners have been killed this year while trying to cross the motorway on foot.

“They did not realise the dangers nor were they aware that this is actually illegal,” he added.

Director of the Police Traffic Unit Theodoros Achilleos also said that many third country nationals purchase very cheap and, in many cases, unroadworthy vehicles while staying on the island.

“It goes without saying that a very old car, which has not been properly maintained, is an accident waiting to happen,” he said.

The police have printed out thousands of road safety information leaflets in English, French, German, Russian and Arabic which are available at airports and hotels.

“In addition to this, we will soon begin a tour of educational institutions and places of work in order to give talks on the importance of this issue,” Demetriou stated. “People must be educated to follow the Highway Code.”