Nicosia, Cyprus. Driver distraction, including the use of mobile phones, was blamed for 11 of the 45 road deaths recorded in Cyprus in 2025, police said on Tuesday. Police also said driver distraction has already been linked to more than five collisions this year.
Campaign launch and police figures
The figures were presented during the launch of a new awareness campaign on mobile phone use while driving, titled How Many Scrolls is a Life Worth? None. Hold the Wheel, organised by insurance company Anytime in cooperation with the traffic police’s prevention and awareness office.
According to police statistics, 31,066 reports for mobile phone use were issued over the last three years. More than 31,000 drivers were reported for using mobile phones behind the wheel during that period.
Road deaths in 2025
In 2025, a total of 45 people lost their lives on Cyprus roads, with 11 deaths attributed to careless driving or driver distraction. Nine of the victims were pedestrians, eight were people aged under 25 and three were cyclists.
Police remarks on driver distraction
Traffic director Charis Evripidou said mobile phone use and driver distraction have consistently ranked among the leading causes of road collisions in recent years.
He said studies conducted abroad had shown that using a mobile phone while driving could be even more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol because it diverts a driver’s attention from the road for several seconds.
“Whether we are talking or scrolling, we should put the phone aside,” he said.
Fatal collisions this year and last year
Evripidou said driver distraction remained the leading cause of fatal collisions in 2026, with more than five deadly crashes so far this year linked to inattentive driving.
He added that more than 17 fatal collisions last year were associated with driver distraction.
Short journeys in Cyprus
He noted that journeys in Cyprus are generally short and said there was little that could not wait 10, 20 or 30 minutes until a driver reached their destination.