Cyprus reaffirmed its commitment to aligning with the EU’s goal of reducing road fatalities to zero by 2050 during a meeting in Nicosia on Friday, organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association.

In an address read out at the conference on the European Road Safety Charter (ERSC), Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades reiterated Cyprus’ commitment to Vision 2030, which aims to halve the number of road deaths compared to 2019 levels.

According to data presented by the police, 41 people have died in traffic accidents in 2024 – exceeding the EU’s annual fatality targets. However, the number of serious injuries, which stood at 400 for the same period, remains within target.

Traffic police official Christiana Stefanidou noted that 77.7 per cent of road fatalities were male, and 36.6 per cent were non-Cypriots.

She added that 75 per cent of the fatal accidents occurred in residential areas, and 50 per cent of those who died were not wearing a seatbelt or protective helmet at the time of the incident.

On behalf of the Cyprus Road Safety Council, Charis Christodoulou said the target of a 50 per cent reduction in road casualties was not achieved, since in 2020 there were 48 victims, while the target was for the number of victims not to exceed 30.

Christodoulou highlighted the importance of adopting the “safe system” approach, which focuses on minimising the consequences of road collisions, most of which are attributed to human error.