For their significant action in the last year in the efforts for cultivation of road awareness in the Cypriot society, the Road Safety Ambassadors Rafaela Miltiadou and Marina Kyriakou were awarded today.
According to a Press Release of the Ministry of Transport, the awards were presented by Minister Giannis Karousos and Minister of Justice and Public Order Stefi Drakou, in a ceremony held on the occasion of the completion of the term of office of the two Ambassadors and the assumption of duties by the 2022 Alexis Dimitriou and Michalis Sophocleous. Present at the event were, among others, the Minister of Defense Charalambos Petridis and the Chief of Police Stylianos Papatheodorou.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Transport said that the institution of the Road Safety Ambassador was established in Cyprus in 2021 under the Strategic Road Safety Plan 2021-2030, following the example of other countries. Mr. Karousos described the action of the Road Safety Ambassadors as commendable, a fact which, as he said, "contributed to the success of the institution of the Road Safety Ambassador from the very first year of its implementation".
He added that in the last two years a number of initiatives and actions have been launched, which have resulted in a significant reduction in fatalities from road collisions. In 2019, there were 52 deaths from road accidents with the number decreasing to 48 for 2020 and 45 to 2021. "Despite the fact that the total reduction reaches almost 14% compared to 2019, we still have a lot of work ahead of us ", write down.
The main goal for the period 2021-2030, said Mr. Karousos, is the reduction of road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. A decisive factor for achieving this goal is the change of the attitude of the citizens towards the safer driving, through a series of actions.
The Road Safety Ambassadors focused, among other things, on their participation in television and radio campaigns, with informative spots, interventions in the media and on the implementation of activities for the information and awareness of pupils, students and other groups.
"Rafaela Miltiadou and Marina Kyriakou have diligently served the institution since the first day of their appointment, with the main concern being information on road behavior and road awareness, the need to comply with the traffic code and especially the need to realize that on the streets, "We are not the only users and we have an obligation to show the same respect to all users of the road network", said Mr. Karousos.
Addressing the Road Safety Ambassadors 2022, the Minister called on them to focus their action on raising the awareness of young people, contributing positively to the cultivation of the right behavior among the users of the road network.
"Our common goal is to convey the message that we are all vulnerable on the road and that driving under the influence of substances, not wearing a seat belt and helmet or using a mobile phone while driving is not magic, but it can be "and deprive us of even our lives," he said.
For her part, the Minister of Justice referred to the positive contribution that the institution of the Road Safety Ambassador has in raising public awareness on road safety issues and in cultivating road awareness.
Referring to the selection of the first Road Safety Ambassadors, Ms. Drakou noted that Ms. Miltiadou and Ms. Kyriakou were recognized for their passion for road safety and their commitment to developing initiatives to change road culture.
"Your dynamic presence and the hard work you did, with enthusiasm and professionalism, resulted in the institution being embraced by the people", he noted, adding that through their approach and action, Rafaela and Marina contributed to the creation a generation of more conscientious drivers.
Ms. Drakou underlined that the common goal of all is to achieve the "Vision Zero", ie the zero losses on the streets of Cyprus.
The Minister of Defense, Mr. Charalambos Petridis, characterized the road collisions as a modern scourge. "The sad numbers show that more needs to be done. As the Ministry of Defense, we are constantly promoting the consolidation and establishment of road consciousness in our National Guards, but also in the young executives. "With seminars and other activities, such as the institution of free bus traffic, we try to send the right messages and protect our children," said Mr. Petridis.
The Minister of Defense praised the work of the outgoing Road Safety Ambassadors, and, welcoming the new Ambassadors, made special reference to the strength and will with which Alexis Dimitriou faced the unexpected development of life after an accident he had while serving his military service.
Thanking the Ministers of Transport and Justice for giving them the opportunity to be the first Road Safety Ambassadors in Cyprus, Messrs. Marina Kyriakou and Rafaela Miltiadou referred to their vision for creating a safe road network, where all people, pedestrians, cyclists, drivers , people in wheelchairs, will have moved safely.
After the accident I had, I set as my goal, Rafaela said, to help and offer in any way possible, so that no other family would feel the uncertainty that follows a road collision.
We tried, through our experiences, to make citizens of all ages aware of the responsibilities and rights we all have on the streets, said Marina Kyriakou.
Receiving their letters of appointment from the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Justice, Michalis Sophocleous and Alexis Dimitriou conveyed their readiness to contribute through their experiences and experiences to the collective effort, continuing the work of Rafaela and Marina.
I will try, said Mr. Sophocles, through my professional capacity, but also utilizing my passion for driving, to contribute to the effort to raise awareness of more of our fellow human beings in compliance with the Traffic Code.
The fact that about 30% of road accidents involve our young fellow human beings, Mr. Dimitriou underlined, we must target the new generation, schools, camps and places where young people are.
Source: KYPE