THE GOVERNMENT has announced plans to reduce the breathalyser limit for certain categories of driver from 22mg to just 9mg, or around half glass of beer, after alcohol related road deaths rose 38 per cent in the last year.

The Ministry of Communications and Works is also proposing a review of the penalty points system to encourage safe drivers and more easily ban repeat offenders.

Communication and Works minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis said yesterday: "We need to do something, as deaths have risen by 38 per cent this year. We have concluded a draft legislation, which is now in the hands of the Attorney-general, which will provide for a maximum limit of nine milligrams for certain categories of driver. This is around half a glass of beer."

Those affected by the law will include new drivers (up to one year), drivers of heavy-duty lorries, those transporting dangerous goods, motorcyclists and taxis. For drivers not in these categories, the alcohol limit will remain at 22mg, which is around one glass of wine for the average person.

In Cyprus the blood/alcohol level limit – a different measurement taken by police involving a blood test - is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood or 0.5 grams per litre.

The Ministry also intends to amend the points system, after a recent delegation visited Spain to learn how similar measures had cut road deaths by over 50 per cent.

Demetris Demetriou, head of road traffic police said that under the Spanish system, new drivers receive 12 points, and if they have no accidents or commit no traffic violations they will gain two points each year. If they are caught speeding or over the limit, they will lose points for each offence. When their points run out, the licence can be immediately revoked. This is not possible under Cypriot law, where points are added per offence, and can continue to be accumulated while the case goes through the courts.

Demetriou said: "According to figures announced by the traffic police headquarters 285 people have accumulated 13 points, 144 accumulated 14 points, and there are drivers who have accumulated 30 points and yet still drive."

Marcoullis said: "At a certain level the licence is automatically taken away without the need to go to court, and to get it back the driver has to pass their test again and take extra classes."

This is likely to mean a minimum six-month ban and 24 hours of extra lessons; this proposal is now under review by the Road Transport Council.

The new measures are unlikely to come into force before the summer break, Marcoullis said, as they are awaiting approval by Attorney General, before being debated in Parliament and then approved by the Council of Ministers.