Road Safety Council convenes to find ways to mitigate fatalities

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