Cyprus Mail View: Big fines and penalty points the only way to make roads safer

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.