Newsroom
Cyprus performed close to the European Union average in road safety last year, according to the latest findings from the European Commission. In 2024, the country registered 44 road fatalities per million residents, placing it 14th among the EU’s 27 Member States and slightly below the EU-wide average of 45 deaths per million.
Who is most affected
Recent data show that road casualties in Cyprus disproportionately impact specific groups. Riders of motorcycles and mopeds, as well as young people aged 18 to 24, account for a significant share of fatalities. Urban areas remain the most dangerous settings: between 2017 and 2019, nearly two-thirds (63.5%) of all deaths and four out of five serious injuries occurred in towns and cities, with speeding identified as a primary cause.
During that same period:
- Motorcyclists and moped riders represented 31.4% of all fatalities.
- Pedestrians accounted for 23.5% of deaths.
- Young people under 25 made up 26.1% of victims.
- Foreign nationals comprised 27.3% of those killed.
In 2022 alone, powered two-wheelers were involved in 19% of road deaths and 18% of serious injuries.
Overall downward trend
Despite these challenges, Cyprus has recorded notable improvements in recent years. Road deaths fell by 21% between 2019 and 2024. Serious injuries have also declined: 253 people were seriously hurt in 2022, marking a 26% decrease compared to 2019. Across the 2019-2022 period, reductions were observed in both fatalities and serious injuries for all major categories of crashes and road users.
The Commission notes that Cyprus appears broadly aligned with the EU objective of cutting road deaths by half by 2030.
Risk factors and rule violations
Statistics covering 2017-2019 highlight persistent issues with compliance:
- Speeding was recorded in 37% of cases in urban areas, 19% on rural roads and 64% on motorways.
- Alcohol was involved in 15.2% of fatal crashes, while drugs were linked to 8.3%.
- More than half (56%) of car passengers who died were not wearing seatbelts.
- 44% of deceased motorcyclists were not wearing helmets.
- Mobile phone use was a factor in 24% of fatal collisions.
These figures underline ongoing behavioral risks that continue to contribute to serious and fatal crashes.
National strategy and implementation gaps
The Commission’s report also reviews Cyprus’s 2021-2030 Road Safety Strategic Plan, which aims to reduce deaths and injuries from traffic accidents by 50% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. The strategy sets even more ambitious targets, a 60% reduction, for urban road users, motorcyclists, drivers under 25, pedestrians, cyclists and foreign residents.
While progress has been reported in many areas of the 2021–2024 action plan, the Commission points to delays in certain sectors. Key obstacles include limited staffing in technical services, weaknesses in administrative organization and insufficient funding. These shortcomings, the report states, have slowed implementation across most elements of the road safety management framework, apart from legislative measures.
Even so, based on current data, Cyprus is considered to be moving largely in the right direction toward meeting its 2030 road safety goals.
