Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades declared mobile phones killed 19 of Cyprus’ 43 road victims this year – though police data identifies only driver distraction, not phones specifically, as the cause.
Police told the Road Safety Council on Thursday they can definitively link 19 fatal crashes in 2025 to lack of driver attention. Vafeades made his own interpretation.
“I personally translate this potentially to mobile phone use,” the minister said after the meeting with Justice Minister Constantinos Fytiris. “This is a scourge for our country, you understand we may have lost 19 fellow citizens from mobile phone use, and this cannot be accepted.”
Convinced he’s identified the culprit, Vafeades ordered committees to skip the usual two-month gap and return by January with measures targeting mobile phones at the wheel.
“We must stop and we must all accept that when we use mobile phone while driving we endanger ourselves, our family and everyone else using road network,” he said.
2030 target slipping away
The 43 deaths put Cyprus off course from halving fatal road collisions by 2030, a target the government set to align with EU safety goals.
Five crashes involved drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs – a fraction of the 19 distraction-related deaths Vafeades attributes to phones.
“I don’t want to underestimate these conditions as we will focus on these too,” Vafeades said. “Simply what we’re saying is that of 43, 19 concern mobiles and it’s a huge number and trend that must be limited.”
The government supports MP Chrysanthos Savidis’ proposal to ban novice drivers from consuming any alcohol.
Police to step up enforcement
Fytiris, at his first Road Safety Council meeting, committed police resources to cutting road deaths through manpower and technology.
“Justice Ministry, through Police, will take in combination with Road Transport Department and other services, all necessary measures regarding Police manpower and technology, to reduce accidents to minimum,” he said. “It’s one of main pillars of our policy because society shouldn’t mourn more victims on roads.”
The justice minister also addressed public complaints about drivers getting fined for crossing red lights at camera-controlled junctions when ambulances pass.
“What needs to be done will be done, but with safety for both ambulances and citizens,” he said.
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