The police are to conduct an “intensive” operation of heightened roadside tests with the aim of clamping down on people driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

During the course of a week starting from Monday, increased numbers of roadside alcohol and drug tests will be carried out, with the police saying their aim is “to prevent serious and fatal road accidents”.

They added that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was the main cause of fatal road collisions in Cyprus between 2022 and last year, with 23.3 per cent of fatal collisions on the island involving alcohol or drugs.

“Careless driving”, the police said, was the second most frequent cause of fatal road collisions, with 21.4 per cent of such incidents involving careless driving.

“Throughout the campaign, the police will conduct intensive traffic checks across Cyprus, while at the same time promoting informational activities to the public to cultivate road awareness and responsible driving behaviour,” they said.

They added that similar initiatives will be taking place across Europe during the week as part of the European network of traffic police forces (Roadpol)’s “Operation Alcohol & Drugs”.