Police on Thursday afternoon arrested a biker who attacked a police officer and an ambulance driver on the Nicosia-Larnaca motorway.

Around 4.25pm, while the 36-year-old man was riding his motorbike near Koshi, a 35-year-old woman who was a passenger on the bike fell down and hit the asphalt.

The man stopped to help her while at the same time a police patrol car carrying out routine checks nearby also moved towards them to help.

As soon as the police car arrived, the 36-year-old allegedly started shouting at the officers and hit the bonnet of the car, damaging the vehicle.

He is said to have repeatedly punched an officer on his head.

A few minutes later, when an ambulance arrived, the biker hit the 51-year-old ambulance driver with his helmet.

The ambulance transferred the woman to Larnaca hospital, from where she was taken to Nicosia general hospital and treated for burns.

The police officer and the ambulance driver were treated for head injuries.

The 36-year-old man was arrested. Both he and his passenger were wearing helmets.

Source: Motorcyclist arrested after hitting policeman, ambulance driver – Cyprus Mail

Motorcyclists are trained by members of the Police

The risks that motorcyclists face in the road network and the ways in which they can predict and cope with them were the subject of a training program that was held yesterday 16/6/2019) at the Police Headquarters Department of Traffic Police. 

The program was attended by 15 civilian motorcyclists, who were briefed by trained members of the Special Motorcycle Squadron and the Police Driving School on the proper use of motorcycles on the road network, but also on how to prevent and deal with various dangers that lie ahead during driving. The training contained both theoretical information of the participants and practical training.

The “Bike Safe” training program is part of the general framework of the Police’s actions to inform and raise awareness of road safety and the prevention of traffic accidents. 

16/06/2019 08:58:00

Μοτοσικλετιστές εκπαιδεύονται από μέλη της Αστυνομίας

Οι κίνδυνοι που διατρέχουν στο οδικό δίκτυο οι μοτοσικλετιστές και οι τρόποι με τους οποίους οι ίδιοι μπορούν να τους προβλέψουν και να τους αντιμετωπίσουν, ήταν το αντικείμενο προγράμματος εκπαίδευσης, που πραγματοποιήθηκε χθες στο Τμήμα Τροχαίας Αρχηγείου Αστυνομίας. 

Το πρόγραμμα παρακολούθησαν 15 πολίτες μοτοσικλετιστές, οι οποίοι ενημερώθηκαν από εκπαιδευμένα μέλη του Ειδικού Ουλαμού Μοτοσικλετιστών και της Σχολής Οδηγών της Αστυνομίας, για την ορθή χρήση των μοτοσικλετών στο οδικό δίκτυο, αλλά και για το πώς μπορούν να προλαμβάνουν και να αντιμετωπίζουν διάφορους κινδύνους, που ελλοχεύουν κατά την οδήγηση. Η εκπαίδευση περιείχε τόσο θεωρητική ενημέρωση των συμμετεχόντων, όσο και πρακτική εξάσκηση.

Το εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα «Bike Safe», εντάσσεται στο γενικότερο πλαίσιο των δράσεων της Αστυνομίας, για ενημέρωση και ευαισθητοποίηση του κοινού σχετικά με την οδική ασφάλεια και την πρόληψη των τροχαίων συγκρούσεων. 

Police on Sunday appealed to motorcyclists and moped drivers to take measures to protect themselves in case of an accident.

After three accidents overnight between Saturday and Sunday involving motorcyclists, one of whom is in critical condition and at least one of whom was not wearing a helmet, Limassol police traffic officer Michalis Michael called on motorcyclists to wear the appropriate gear, CNA reported.

Only on Tuesday, a report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) highlighted the dangers to motorcyclists in Cyprus.

Although Cyprus didn’t rank high in terms of pedestrian and cyclist deaths on city streets, a high level of traffic law violations leads in particular to the deaths of drivers of PTWs (powered two-wheelers). Motorbike and moped riders account for 31 per cent of all fatalities in urban areas.

“Mopeds are widely used on urban roads by young and inexperienced people who are mostly students or delivery service providers. Most of the young moped users ride with a learners’ licence and they lack proper training,” the report said. It also said the use of safety helmets was not as widespread as desired and often when helmets were used, they were not properly strapped. It added that a culture of respect for PTW riders was lacking among other vehicle drivers.

“Notwithstanding the above, an indepth study is required to provide evidence for the actual reasons for the large number of PTW deaths in Cyprus,” the report added, quoting George Morfakis, a Cypriot road safety expert.

Michael said police planned to increase their weekly road safety campaigns to three weeks.

“The weekly campaigns will last for three weeks,” he told CNA. “The first week will be on enlightenment and prevention issues and advice on legislation in an effort to raise public awareness for accident prevention and repression. Beyond that, the remaining weeks will be targeted to checks on motorcyclists and mopeds so as to limit as far as possible the number of deaths.”

Source: Wear helmets, police tell motorcyclists after three accidents overnight – Cyprus Mail

Hands-free phone chats at the wheel are as risky as driving while holding your mobile and should be banned, expert warns

MPs were told hands-free phone conversations are no less dangerous while driving. Experts warn that using a hands-free kit is as risky – if not more so – than driving at the UK’s legal alcohol limit.

A hands-free phone conversation while driving is just as dangerous as chatting while holding your phone, MPs were told yesterday.

Experts also said using a hands-free kit is as risky – if not more so – than driving at the legal alcohol limit.

In March 2017, the Government doubled the punishment for using a hand-held phone at the wheel to six penalty points and a £200 fine.

But Dr Shaun Helman, of the Transport Research Laboratory, said it should be extended to the use of hands-free devices.

He told the Commons transport committee that hands-free conversations are just as distracting.

This was echoed by Open University’s Dr Gemma Briggs, who said a conversation with a passenger is less dangerous than talking to someone on a hands-free device.

She explained: ‘This is because you create mental images of where they are, what they’re discussing, what they’re up to, and the mental resources required to create those mental images are also required for accurate perception of that driving situation.’

Source: Hands-free phones ‘just as distracting as hand-held’

Mortality on urban roads in Cyprus is close to three times the EU average with around 60 deaths per million inhabitants, the fourth worst record in the bloc, with progress on reducing fatalities having stagnated, a damning report published on Tuesday revealed.

More than 50 per cent of all road deaths on the island occur in urban areas, the authors said. Although Cyprus didn’t rank high in terms of pedestrian and cyclist deaths on city streets, a high level of traffic law violations leads in particular to the deaths of drivers of PTWs (powered two-wheelers). Motorbike and moped riders account for 31 per cent of all fatalities in urban areas.

“Mopeds are widely used on urban roads by young and inexperienced people who are mostly students or delivery service providers. Most of the young moped users ride with a learners’ licence and they lack proper training,” the report said. It also said the use of safety helmets was not as widespread as desired and often when helmets were used, they were not properly strapped. It added that a culture of respect for PTW riders was lacking among other vehicle drivers.

“Notwithstanding the above, an indepth study is required to provide evidence for the actual reasons for the large number of PTW deaths in Cyprus,” the report added, quoting George Morfakis, a Cypriot road safety expert. Continue reading Death on Cyprus’ urban roads three times higher than EU average – Cyprus Mail →

Just hours after the third fatal road accident of the weekend, police caught a teenager driving at more than twice the legal limit while he was under the influence of alcohol.

“The deaths of young people seem unable to make us realise the value of life, and that driving is not a game,” police commented in a statement.

Around 1am on Monday, officers found the 18-year-old speeding at 219km/h on the Limassol to Nicosia motorway where the speed limit is 100km/h.

When he was tested for alcohol, the reading showed 41μg, more than four times the 9μg allowed for drivers who have had their licence for less than three years.

The driver was charged and released.

Source: ‘Driving is not a game’ – Cyprus Mail

Police have urged road users to be careful while the NGO Reaction has called for those who break traffic rules to face bigger fines following three fatal traffic accidents over the weekend.

Two bikers and a woman died in the accidents in Paralimni, Limassol and Paphos.

The human factor is still the main cause of accidents, police said.

“There is a strong need to drive carefully, for good driving behaviour,” a statement said. “It is the personal responsibility of everyone to drive responsibly, following the traffic code.”

Police are doing what they can to prevent fatal and serious road accidents and are asking everyone to help reduce such incidents, they added.

It is important to keep to the speed limit, use safety belts and helmets and not to drive under the influence of alcohol or while using mobile phones, the announcement said.

Road safety NGO Reaction called for higher penalties and said there should be no more deaths on the roads.

The House should debate the issue immediately and needs to vote on how to improve road safety, it said.

“They must vote before the House closes for the summer holidays,” head of Reaction Marios Stavrou said. “Lives are being lost, there is no more time to be lost. I personally call on the President of the Republic, the President of the House and all MPs to go ahead with the measures they have before them.”

If there is a need for more funds to improve the road network these should be made available immediately, he added.

Stavrou also referred to traffic cameras, which he said need to be installed immediately if necessary.

“If the whole road safety strategy needs to be redesigned, then let’s do it before we lose more young people,” he concluded.

Two people were arrested for their involvement in the accidents at the weekend.

A 27-year-old man involved in a traffic accident on Saturday afternoon in which a 36-year-old woman lost her life was arrested the following day.

According to the police, at about 4pm on Saturday a car driven by 36-year-old Chrystalla Koumoushi crashed with the double cab driven by the 27-year-old while the car was attempting a turn.

The two drivers were taken by ambulance to Paphos general hospital, where Koumoushi died.

Police have arrested another person, a 55-year-old man involved in a fatal accident which happened on the road from Sotira to Paralimni on Sunday afternoon.

Kyriakos Kavasis, 32, a resident of Sotira, was killed in the crash at around 5.15pm.

The motorbike he was riding collided with a car driven by the 55-year-old man coming from the opposite direction who cut off the bike when he attempted to turn right.

The biker was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Famagusta general hospital.

A teenage motorcyclist was killed in yet another accident this weekend. The 19-year-old from Latvia died in an accident in Limassol early on Sunday. At around 1am the teenager was riding a high cc motorbike when at some point he lost control of the bike, hit a metal pole at the side of the road and was thrown onto the pavement.

He was wearing a helmet but died at the scene.

Source: Call for higher penalties after three fatal crashes over weekend – Cyprus Mail