A BRITISH resident is battling for her life after being knocked over on the street in broad daylight by a quad bike driven by a teenager in Ayia Napa.
According to police, the 21-year-old woman was walking on the pavement on Thursday evening when a 17-year-old Israeli tourist lost control of the machine, skidded off the road and struck her.
The victim, who lives in Cyprus, was rushed by ambulance to Paralimni Hospital then quickly transferred to Nicosia due to the severity of her injuries.
According to police she underwent hours of delicate surgery and has been placed in intensive care where she is fighting to stay alive.
The teenage driver of the quad was remanded in custody for three days yesterday while police also arrested the Polish director of the rental office.
Police said the teenager had not been drinking but had no valid licence nor insurance to drive the quad.
“He presented an Israeli car driving licence, which does not seem to cover a motorbike,” Famagusta police spokesman Giorgos Economou said.
The road itself was shut for around two hours while accident investigators studied the scene as shocked tourists and locals looked on.
The driver is understood to be part of a group of young Israeli tourists who were on a week’s holiday before being drafted for compulsory service in the army.
Ayia Napa mayor Antonis Tsokkos, who has campaigned for greater road safety, called on rental companies, to explain the dangers of bikes and quads to customers.
“The people who rent these bikes must point out the dangers of misuse, it is important that the dangers are clearly spelt out. I think it is of
paramount importance that the roads in Ayia Napa are safe, but the police cannot be everywhere 24-hours a day,” he told the Cyprus Mail.
Ayia Napa residents have constantly complained about reckless drivers on quad bikes and mopeds racing on the town’s roads, especially during the evening and early hours.
Alcohol, high speed and no helmets has claimed over a dozen lives over the past few years, prompting the municipality to construct a series of speed bumps through out the resort.
Nearly a third of all road fatalities in Cyprus are motorcyclists or their passengers, and a quarter are under 25 years of age.
Most quad bike accidents involve the vehicle overturning – with excessive speed, inexperience and unsafe loads usually to blame.
Road safety experts advise that children and teenagers should not be allowed to ride a quad bike, even on private land, because they don’t have the strength, skills or experience to handle a bike that can be easily overturned if not controlled properly.
Last week the resorts radio station launched an anti-drink driving campaign, with a series of public information commercials being broadcast day and night.
Radio Napa commissioned a set of hard hitting adverts which will run until the end of September.
“The strategy for the drink driving campaign is to remind all drivers of the personal consequences of drink driving, and that a drink driving conviction can ruin your life and other peoples, as we have sadly seen to frequently in this district,” a spokesman told the Cyprus Mail.
Police say they have also started a comprehensive range of measures, including increased traffic patrols, a speed checking campaign, a mass media awareness campaign, and other joint projects with both private and public partners.
