Aglandjia, Cyprus. Cyprus is intensifying efforts to reduce road deaths among young people, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said at an international road safety conference on Thursday. He warned that fatalities involving inexperienced drivers and motorcyclists remain a major public safety concern.
Young people and annual toll
Speaking at an international road safety conference in Aglandjia organised with the European Transport Safety Council, Vafeades said young people under the age of 24 account for more than a quarter of all road deaths in Cyprus.
“Every year in Cyprus, approximately 50 people lose their lives on our roads, with hundreds more seriously injured,” he said, adding that the losses are preventable.
Motorcyclists and main causes
The minister said motorcyclists represent nearly 30 per cent of all fatalities. He identified excessive speed, impairment due to drugs and alcohol, and driver distraction as the principal causes.
Strategic Action Plan through 2030
Vafeades outlined measures promoted through the government’s road safety Strategic Action Plan, in operation until 2030. He said the plan contains 28 policy initiatives and 158 individual measures aligned with EU directives to halve road deaths by the end of the decade.
Licensing, penalties and education measures
Proposals include stricter probationary licences for inexperienced drivers, tougher penalties for traffic offences, and expanded road safety education programmes targeting students and military personnel.
“We are expanding these modules to also target phone use while driving, a critical danger for young people,” he said.
Speed limits and motorcycle safety focus
The government is promoting lower inner city speed limits, including wider implementation of 30 kilometre per hour zones aimed at protecting pedestrians and cyclists.
Vafeades said attention is also being directed towards motorcycle safety after a rise in rider fatalities this year, and confirmed earlier this week that seven of the 15 people killed on Cyprus roads so far in 2026 were motorcyclists.
What changes do you think would most effectively reduce road deaths among young drivers in Cyprus?
