Panayiotis Rougalas
Just two days ago, new data was released on fatal road collisions by district, covering the year so far. Sadly, not a single silver lining can be drawn from the figures. There’s no “second reading” that shows improvement compared to previous years, no drop, no trend in the right direction.
In total, Cyprus has recorded 36 fatal collisions so far in 2024, three of which occurred on motorways. In 2023, there were 32, with six on motorways. I’m no statistician, but if a third of those deaths occurred in just the first four months of each year, it’s not hard to guess where we’re headed by year’s end, likely the full count, or worse. In fact, the numbers already suggest we’re on track to surpass previous years.
Looking more closely at the breakdown of when these accidents occur, the long-standing belief that most fatal crashes happen only at night doesn’t hold up. In early 2025, for example, three fatal collisions happened between 8:00 p.m. and midnight. Another occurred between noon and 4:00 p.m., and one more during early morning hours, between 4:00 and 8:00 a.m., when many people are heading to work.
The most dangerous times so far this year? Between 8:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m., and again between midnight and 3:59 a.m., accounting for four and two fatal collisions, respectively.
We’re not experts. We’re not traffic police. But it’s common knowledge that when fatal accidents happen late at night, speeding or driving under the influence is often to blame. The early morning crashes, though, what’s going wrong there?
Is it the state of our road network? While there have been efforts to upgrade it, many roads remain in mediocre to poor condition. Even new roads often raise questions. Take the new Nicosia perimeter road, for instance: anyone who’s driven it will notice uneven pavement, especially at high speeds. The turns are built with reverse slopes, sloping the wrong way, which can be dangerous. I’m no engineer, but you don’t need to be one to recognize a poor road design when you see it.
Then there’s the daily commute. Historically, Nicosia has drawn workers from Larnaca and Limassol, being the business hub. That’s still the case, which explains the heavy morning traffic headed to the capital. But in recent years, Limassol has boomed, and with it, the job market. Now, many commute daily from Nicosia and Larnaca to Limassol.
If you’ve ever done that round trip, you know it’s a nightmare. Endless construction, months-long projects, and road conditions that range from decent in some areas to downright dangerous in others. Potholes, crumbling asphalt, bumpy surfaces, and poor or non-existent lighting after dark are the norm. Add to that heavy traffic near exits and on-ramps, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Vehicles often come to a near standstill or crawl along at unsafe speeds, the worst kind of “semi” traffic, unpredictable and hazardous.
There are two key ingredients to cutting down on road deaths. One is driver education, a deep-rooted issue that may take years, even generations, to fix. For some, the chance to improve may already be lost. That’s not for me to say.
But the other is fixing the road network, and that’s something we can do. Yes, it costs money. Yes, it takes time. But it’s within reach. It's practical. It’s achievable.
Relying on fixed or mobile speed cameras as a primary solution is clearly not working. The evidence is there. They aren’t reducing fatalities in any meaningful way. The only real way forward is through serious investment in our roads, resurfacing, redesigning, upgrading, and maintaining them properly.
It won’t happen overnight. But it’s the only way to stop this trend from getting worse.
*This op-ed was translaated from its Greek original
