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- Ελληνικά
The Road Safety Council is the institution responsible for formulating general road safety policy. Since its establishment, it has implemented a number of measures which have brought positive results in terms of reducing the number of road accident victims from around 160 in the early 1970s, 110 in the 1980s, 130 in the 1990s, 110 in the 2000s, to 60 in the 2010s, 50 in 2017-2020 and 37 in 2022.
This decrease is noted and attributed to all the measures taken, particularly in recent years, such as, for example, photolabelling, increased penalties, intensive police checks and campaigns, as well as the intensification of information campaigns with the contribution of Road Safety Ambassadors.
The main objective of our Strategic Road Safety Plan for the period 2021-2030 is to reduce road fatalities and injuries by 50% by 2030, following the targets of the European Union, which has adopted the "Vision Zero", which is our long-term objective with a milestone of 2050.
Towards this end, the Road Safety Council and my Ministry are working together with the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, as well as all departments and bodies, promoting a series of actions and policies in the areas of legislation, training and testing of prospective drivers, information and awareness-raising, as well as road infrastructure and vehicle safety, in order to tackle the major social problem of road deaths and injuries.
Road safety must be at the core of all our efforts, with the aim of reducing deaths and injuries from road collisions.
In Cyprus, there is a generalized disobedience of road traffic rules, with the main and most serious violations being the violation of the speed limit, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, the violation of the red traffic light, the non-use of seat belts - especially in the rear seats, the non-use of child restraint systems, the non-use of helmets and the use of hands-free mobile phones while driving.
I will dwell for a moment on the last indiscipline, which is the reason for our meeting today. I would like to mention that according to a survey and study in relation to the Road Safety Performance Indicators on the road network in Cyprus, conducted by my Ministry and specifically the Department of Public Works, we have the following important statistics:
- One in ten drivers use a mobile phone while driving.
- In urban areas, where the highest volume of road collisions and pedestrian movements occur, this figure is one in nine drivers using a mobile phone while driving.
- In certain categories of vehicles, such as light trucks, the percentage on weekdays is even higher, at around one in seven drivers.
Taking the above into account and with our Road Safety Ambassadors Michael Pavlidis and Vladimir Tzortzis at the centre, we are launching today this targeted campaign, which invites all of us to consider that mobile phone use while driving can result in road collisions, serious injury, disability or even death.
The fast pace and immediate needs of everyday life create a strong desire to be in constant communication with the people around us. Many of us think that our time behind the wheel is the right time to communicate. But we should not forget that using a mobile phone while driving, even for five seconds to read a message, can have disastrous results.
The aim of the campaign is to help drivers change their habits and avoid using mobile phones while driving.
Today we are here to announce the launch of the Road Safety Awareness Campaign.
Today we are here to announce the launch of the Road Safety Awareness Campaign. So we are addressing everyone with the message: Eyes on the road - Mobile can wait.
(AF/ASP)
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