Two dead and 72 hurt in two weeks of crashes

TWO people lost their lives and 72 people were injured in 49 out of 153 accidents that occurred on the TRNC’s roads between April 25 and May 8, according to police figures.

Speeding was both the top cause of the accidents and the most reported motoring offence during traffic stops carried out in the two-week period.

The fatalities were the result of a single accident, when two women, both mothers of two, died following a head-on collision on April 30, as previously reported by Cyprus Today.

Speeding was cited as the main cause of 46 of the 153 accidents, followed by reckless driving (36), failing to stop at a junction (27), driving too closely behind another vehicle (22), as well as “other factors” (22).

Of the accidents, which resulted in damage worth 4,414,200TL, 51 occurred in the Lefkoşa district, 36 in Gazimağusa, 38 in Girne, 21 in Güzelyurt and seven in İskele.

THREE OUT OF 10 DRIVERS BREAKING LAWS

The figures also showed that 9,917 drivers were checked during traffic stops throughout the country during the same period, and that legal action was initiated against 3,054 drivers who were found to have committed crimes – a rate of around three out of 10.

A breakdown of the offences recorded was as follows: speeding (745), dangerous driving (32), reckless driving (88), driving without road tax (314), driving without a driving licence (30), drink driving (72), talking on a mobile phone while driving (412), driving without wearing a seat belt (265), not obeying road signs and signals (244), not obeying traffic lights (13), driving without an MOT (101), driving without insurance or outside of its coverage (143), driving an “A” class vehicle without permission (43), driving a “B” class vehicle for a private business without permission (29), carrying more than a vehicle’s tonnage or dangerous cargo (1), riding a motorcycle without a helmet (15) and “other” traffic offences (507).