By Marinos Pavlikas *
Hundreds of vehicles circulating on Cypriot roads today are unsafe and no one can accurately determine their number
The information provided by "S" from the Police is a cause for concern and should concern us all, since the majority of drivers who "stroll" on the roads without the safety of their vehicle are young up to 24 years old.
The phenomenon of uninsured vehicles on the Cypriot roads is a cause for concern, as a large number of drivers are still indifferent to their car insurance, despite the hefty fines provided by law. The high number of drivers who avoid the financial cost of road insurance is evident in statistics provided by "Simerini" on Sunday by the Cyprus Police, which concern vehicles that have been involved in a road collision. The decrease, recorded, from 2012 until today is related to the significant reduction of road collisions, whether they relate to fatal accidents or road collisions with damage.
The data
In 2016, according to the Police, 942 road collisions were recorded, of which 260 vehicles were uninsured. These uninsured vehicles include 187 cars, 70 motorcycles, 1 truck and 2 agricultural tractors. Below are the detailed data per year from 2012:
- 2012: 1.492 road collisions were recorded, of which 445 with uninsured vehicles (29,83%).
- 2013: 1.273 road collisions were recorded, of which 431 with uninsured vehicles (33,85%).
- 2014: 1.154 road collisions were recorded, of which 273 with uninsured vehicles (23,65%).
- 2015: 958 road collisions were recorded, of which 262 with uninsured vehicles (27,35%).
- 2016: 942 road collisions were recorded, of which 260 with uninsured vehicles (27,35%).
It is noted that in 2017 (until 31/10) 203 road collisions were recorded, in which uninsured vehicles were involved.
There is no doubt that the way in which the statistical data are recorded, which only concerns road traffic collisions, does not reflect all the uninsured vehicles on the Cypriot roads. According to the Department of Road Transport, but also the Fund for Motor Vehicle Insurers, the number of uninsured cars cannot be calculated today, which makes it difficult to form the picture on the serious issue of avoiding insurance.
Mostly Cypriots and young people
As far as the nationality of drivers is concerned, this does not seem to record any significant difference in recent years, since Cypriot drivers are in most cases behind an uninsured vehicle that has been involved in a road collision. The details are recorded below:
- 2012: out of the 445 cases with uninsured vehicles, in 234 behind the wheel were Cypriots and 211 non-Cypriots.
- 2013: out of 431 cases, 275 were with Cypriot drivers and 156 with non-Cypriot drivers.
- 2014: out of 273 cases, 185 were with Cypriot drivers and 84 with non-Cypriot drivers.
- 2015: out of 262 cases, 180 were with Cypriot drivers and 82 with non-Cypriot drivers.
- 2016: out of 260 cases, 180 were with Cypriot drivers and 80 with non-Cypriot drivers.
During 2017 (until 31/10) 203 road collisions with uninsured vehicles were recorded, of which 121 with Cypriots and 82 with non-Cypriot drivers.
Of particular concern is the fact that most drivers who refuse to pay their vehicle insurance fee are young drivers, which demonstrates the lack of education and law enforcement for young drivers. As shown by the information provided by the Police:
- 2012: out of 445 road collisions with uninsured vehicles, 117 were under the age of 24, 180 were aged 25-39, 112 were aged 40-59 and 36 were over 60.
- 2013: out of 431 cases, 119 were with people under 24, 177 aged 25-39, 106 40-59 and 29 over 60.
- 2014: out of 273 cases, in 68 the drivers were under 24 years old, in 125 25-39 years old, in 56 40-59 years old and in 24 over 60 years old.
- 2015: out of 262 cases, 81 behind the wheel were drivers under 24, 92 aged 25-39, 69 40-59 and 20 over 60.
- 2016: out of 260 cases, in 97 the drivers were under 24 years old, in 78 years old 25-39 years old, in 55 years old 40-59 years old and in 30 years old over 60 years old.
- 2017: out of the 203 registered cases, until the end of October, in 63 behind the wheel were drivers under 24 years old, 83 aged 25-39 years, in 41 40-59 years old and in 16 over 60 years old.
Police: Strict penalties
According to the Assistant Police Director of the Traffic Headquarters, Senior Lieutenant Haris Evripidou, based on article 3 of the Law on Motor Vehicles (Third Party Liability Insurance) (Law 96 (I) / 2000, as amended to date), any person is prohibited to use a motor vehicle on the road, unless it is in force, in connection with its use by such person, such third party liability insurance or to provoke or allow any other person to use a motor vehicle on the road, unless in force, in connection with its use by that other person, such an insurance policy relating to liability to a third party.
As for the penalties for failure to insure a vehicle, a fine of up to € 1.708, deprivation of a driver's license, or in some cases imprisonment is provided. In case of a second or later conviction, within a period of two years from the date of the previous offense, imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to € 3.417 is provided. As Mr. Evripidou mentioned, the failure of drivers to insure their vehicle is an acute social problem, since drivers who travel uninsured are financially burdened by consistent, insured drivers.
Hermes National Security Program
A pan-Cypriot campaign for the correct and scientific information of the public regarding the consequences of driving an uninsured vehicle was launched in 2014 by the non-profit organization REACTION Youth for the Prevention, within the National Road Safety Program "Hermes". According to the President of the Organization, Mario Stavrou, this campaign is going to continue more intensively in 2018, recognizing the worrying dimensions of the phenomenon, but especially in terms of the need for training and awareness of young drivers.
Motor Vehicle Insurers Fund
For the protection and safeguarding of insured drivers in cases of road collisions against uninsured vehicles, the Motor Insurers Fund has been established in 1969, which operates under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Liability Insurance) Law, L.96 (I) / 2000. Members of the Fund are all insurance companies that fall under the provisions of the Law on Insurance Operations and that carry out operations of Motor Vehicles against a Third Party in Cyprus. The Fund is financed by the imposition of a charge on the premiums of motor vehicles which is set at 5% and is collected through the Insurance Companies.
The purpose of establishing the fund is to pay - under certain conditions - compensation to third parties in connection with the liability of uninsured or unknown vehicles, vehicles insured with insurance companies under liquidation, vehicles with Cypriot registration numbers for accidents occurring in its member countries - Green Card System or vehicles with registration numbers of member countries of the Green Card System for accidents that occur in Cyprus.
It's up to each of us
Therefore, it is up to the Cypriot driver to follow the laws and to be faithful to his obligations regarding the insurance of his vehicle. On the other hand, citizens should be aware of their rights, since in the event of a car accident with a vehicle that does not have a safety certificate, drivers must call the traffic police, record the registration number of the vehicle involved in the accident and is not insured and call their insurance company. They can then apply, either to their insurance company or directly to the Motor Vehicle Insurers Fund for compensation, if and if the conditions are met.
* Newspaper SIMERINI (14/1/2018)