cyprusdriving.net

CyprusDriving agree with the sentiments expressed in the article reproduced below.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/04/19/our-view-big-fines-and-penalty-points-the-only-way-to-make-roads-safer

Four lives were lost on the roads over 48 hours in the last week. Three of them were hit by other vehicles, while the fourth – a 23-year-old man – had reportedly lost control of the high-powered motorcycle he was riding. One of the victims was a 69-year-old pedestrian, hit by a motorbike while on a pedestrian crossing, while the other two were motorcyclists who were hit by cars.

Pedestrians and motorcyclists are the most vulnerable road users. Last year, of the 41 road fatalities, 10 were motorcyclists and 10 were pedestrians. Motorcyclists, who made up 25 per cent of the fatalities in 2024, accounted for only 7 per cent of vehicle users on the roads. And they are not all youths speeding and taking risks on the road, as two of last week’s accidents showed.

Police regularly undertake road safety campaigns in an attempt to ‘educate’ drivers and improve road behaviour. Although these campaigns are necessary and are gradually improving road behaviour, they are not enough to make our roads safer. These must be backed by the harsh punishment of traffic offences which are undoubtedly the most effective method for disciplining drivers.

The biggest enemies of the tough punishment school are the politicians and particularly deputies, who are constantly attempting to reduce fines. It took more than two decades after the decision was taken for the government to finally introduce traffic cameras (the original attempt was abandoned after just a few months). And now that thousands have been fined, deputies are doing everything they can to reduce their effectiveness.

Deputies from all the parties want fines reduced and longer periods for the payment while also placing legal obstacles in the way the fines are collected. They are also proposing the reduction of the period for the deletion of penalty points from three to two years. It is an outrage that legislators want to reduce the penalties imposed on traffic offenders, as if drivers who take risks that put other road-users lives at risk deserve to be shown lenience by the authorities.

This irresponsible political behaviour was castigated by the head of the traffic police, Haris Evripidou, who told Phileleftheros: “We amended the out of court fine arrangement which changes the whole procedure. We are sending the wrong message when we relax penalty points and the (fine) payment period. Other countries are taking tougher measures.”

The traffic cameras had proved very effective in the first two years of use, said Evripidou, lamenting the fact that “some have no understanding and change the legislation with great ease.” Perhaps the police command should be more forceful in opposing pandering to traffic offenders by populist deputies. This level of irresponsibility, which puts lives at risk for the sake of votes, must be called out.

Big fines and penalty points for traffic offenders are the only way to make our roads safer. This must be non-negotiable.

Cyprus hopes to introduce new traffic regulations to improve road safety and give drivers more flexibility. Key changes include:

• Countdown timers to be installed at traffic lights monitored by cameras to help drivers comply with signals. Authorities have six months to implement this, or fines for running red lights will be suspended.
• Extended deadlines for traffic violations: The prosecution period for offenses captured by traffic cameras has been increased from 30 to 105 days. Additionally, drivers now have 90 days (up from 30) to pay fines before they increase by 50%.
• Penalty points for traffic violations will expire after two years instead of being permanent.

These measures aim to enhance compliance and reduce the financial burden on drivers. Let me know if you’d like more details!

Starting Tuesday, Cyprus will require recall exemption certificates for vehicle transfers.

The transport ministry announced that second-hand vehicles need certification from the seller, while new cars get it from the importer/dealer.

This follows a recall involving Takata airbags and brake issues, affecting over 80,000 cars.

Car owners can check if their vehicles are affected via a dedicated website or hotline

Information in English can be found here.

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades reassured motorists that despite Monday’s mass recall of over 80,000 cars with potentially dangerous Takata airbags, the risk of driving these cars is very low. He emphasized that implementing the recall is the only way to remove the risk and that not all Takata airbags are defective.

276 vehicles were immediately immobilized, losing their road tax and MOT certificates. Owners of other recalled vehicles can still use their cars but must have the airbags replaced within eight months. The manufacturers will cover the replacement costs.

Vafeades also mentioned that the government is working on a plan to assist with the recalls and is considering offering free bus travel to those with immobilized vehicles

A new bill proposed by the Cyprus opposition party Disy, aims to extend the deadline for paying traffic fines from 15 to 90 days.

This change is intended to ease financial pressures on citizens.

If fines remain unpaid after 90 days, they will increase by 50%, and prosecution is possible after 105 days.

Additionally, two other bills propose installing countdown timers at traffic lights to help drivers know how much time they have

The Cyprus Government are discussing a proposal for mandatory dashcams in cars in Cyprus.

Authorities are divided on the issue, with some supporting it for improving road safety and aiding in accident investigations, while others are concerned about privacy and data protection.

The proposal aims to clarify the legal status of dashcams and potentially allow their footage to be used as evidence in court

A new bill in Cyprus proposes that drivers involved in accidents causing only material damage must move their vehicles to avoid traffic congestion and document the incident themselves.

Introduced by DISY MP Demetris Demetriou, the bill requires drivers to photograph the accident scene for insurance purposes and exchange personal and vehicle information.

They must also complete the European Accident Statement Form, either electronically or on paper.

The legislation aims to prevent traffic delays caused by minor accidents where drivers currently wait for insurance assessors to arrive.

Cyprus’ Parliament has decided to raise the threshold for driving license suspension from 12 to 16 penalty points.
This change will take effect on February 1, 2025.

Independent MP Alexandra Attalides opposed the amendment, arguing that the previous limit was sufficient to deter reckless driving and that raising the threshold sends a lenient message about road safety.

Diko MP Chrysanthos Savvides, who proposed the bill, argued that increased traffic enforcement measures necessitated the change to prevent drivers from quickly accumulating penalty points

Attalides warned that the new law might be seen as accommodating lawbreakers and could have broader societal implications.
She suggested that she might have supported the threshold increase if it were temporary, but the permanent change appears to be driven by short-term electoral goals.

CyprusDriving agrees with Alexandra Attalides.

Many road safety initiatives are watered down so much that they have no effect whatsoever, as can be seen by the consistent bad driving we see on our roads.

As road deaths continue to rise, the road safety council is set to convene on Wednesday to explore ways to reduce fatalities from traffic collisions.

At the same time, police are seeking alternative methods for delivering fines issued by traffic cameras, the reason being the idea that drivers who are held financially accountable for road violations are more likely to comply with the rules.

To date, 29 road deaths have been recorded this year, with most victims being pedestrians and motorcyclists.

According to government data, pedestrians are often at fault due to carelessness, while motorcyclists are primarily endangered by other drivers attempting to turn right and cutting them off.

A significant factor contributing to fatalities is the use of mobile phones while driving, with statistics indicating that eight fatal accidents this year were caused by drivers using their phones.

All available data will be evaluated during the council meeting, with authorities expected to intensify driver checks in the coming days.

Meanwhile, traffic police and the road transport department are also pushing for alternative ways to deliver fines to drivers who either refuse to accept them or cannot be located. A growing number of drivers are evading these penalties, especially for violations caught on traffic cameras, leading to a backlog of unpaid fines.

To address the issue, according to daily Phileleftheros, the road transport department is planning to seek a legal opinion on whether courts can issue summonses to drivers who cannot be traced despite repeated attempts.

Under current law, an initial fine notice is sent by mail. If the driver does not respond, the private company managing the traffic camera system attempts to deliver the fine in person. If two attempts fail, police then step in. However, the current modus operandi has so far proven ineffective, with over 70,000 fines currently pending delivery.

The road transport department is expected to propose that court summonses be used to deliver fines to offending drivers.

Also, authorities are expected to introduce a new system at airports and border crossings, where drivers with outstanding fines will be flagged and served on the spot when they attempt to travel.

Article in the Cyprus Mail by Jonathan Shkurko

From September 2024 owners of motorcycles are being informed, usually by SMS, to present their bikes at a motorcycle MOT testing station for testing.

Full information can be found here.