COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Cyprus Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
Date: 2026-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: Cyprus, EU investment, accident prevention, common transport policy, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  SWD(2026) 37 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Cyprus Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point {COM(2026) 77 final} - {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 34 final} - {SWD(2026) 35 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 42 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 46 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 53 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final} - {SWD(2026) 59 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

2.5. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

5. 

Summary ............................................................................................................ 2 

Road Safety Strategy and Measures .................................................................. 3 

Road Safety Strategy...................................................................................... 3 

Road Safety Governance................................................................................ 3 

Main Safety Issues ......................................................................................... 3 

Road Safety Targets ....................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Measures.................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Progress ......................................................................................... 5 

Road Safety Outcomes ................................................................................... 5 

Road Safety Performance Indicators ............................................................. 8 

Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation ............................................ 9 

Implementation Progress ............................................................................... 9 

Gaps ............................................................................................................. 13 

Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 13 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cyprus 

1. Summary 

In 2024, Cyprus performed slightly better than the EU average (45) with 44 road fatalities 
per million inhabitants.  

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Cyprus showed a relatively high 
proportion of powered two-wheelers and 18- to 24-year-olds. Also, the vast majority of road 
fatalities and serious injuries occur inside urban areas. 

In  the  Road  Safety  Strategic  Plan  of  Cyprus,  the  targets  of  halving  the  numbers  of  road 
fatalities,  serious  and  slight  injuries  in  2030  compared  to  2020  have  been  set.  Also,  five 
additional targets have been defined in relation to specific road user types of high risk. 

A total of 158 road safety measures divided in eight fields of action are included in the road 
safety strategic plan of Cyprus. In practice, some of these measures are further divided into 
more detailed sub-measures. 

Based on the latest available data, Cyprus appears to be almost on track to meet the 2030 
target of halving road fatalities, with a 21% decrease between 2019 and 2024. In 2022, 253 
people were seriously injured in road crashes, which is 26% lower than the respective figure in 
2019.  

Regarding the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national strategy for 
the period 2021-2024, progress has been made in most road safety areas, with significant 
delays  being  reported  for  some  road  safety  areas.  Based  on  the  self-reported  assessment, 
measures  in  16  areas  are  on  track,  the  implementation  of  the  measures  in  4  areas  has  been 
completed, while in  the remaining  6 areas,  the implementation  has  been delayed or has not 
even started yet. The baseline is assessed as high for 4 out of the 26 road safety areas and as 
low in 12 areas.  

The main gaps reported are the understaffed technical services, the insufficient organisation 
of the authorities and the limited budget. These have a negative effect on the progress of the 
strategy implementation in all areas of the road safety management pillar, except legislation, 
in the implementation of measures related to vulnerable road users, road safety campaigns, as 
well as for measures related to the safe speeds pillar.  

Finally, progress in the implementation of the planned actions is broadly well on track, which 
is partly reflected in the evolution of the overall number of fatalities (albeit with small figures 
subject to annual fluctuations). However, significant delays are met in the implementation of 
the  plan  due  to  organisational,  budget  and  staff-related  issues.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to 
resolve the obstacles preventing or delaying the implementation of the road safety strategy and 
to speed up the setting of the planned road safety measures, with emphasis on those related to 
urban infrastructure, vulnerable road users and safe speeds. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.  Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1.  Road Safety Strategy 

The Road  Safety  Strategic Plan of Cyprus for  the decade 2021-2030 is  the result of the 
update of the strategic plan prepared for implementation during the period 2012-2020. The new 
strategic  plan  is  based  on  the  "Safe  System"  approach,  which  is  the  philosophy  of  the  new 
European  Union  (EU)  policy  for  the  decade  2021-2030,  and  the  approach  adopted 
internationally.  

The formulation of the proposed policies and actions included in the updated strategic plan was 
carried out through a series of meetings of the thematic interdepartmental committees of the 
Road Safety Council and through individual consultations with the relevant departments1. 

Table 6.1: National road safety strategic plan  

Timeframe 
Lead Authority 

Cyprus 
2021-2030 
National Road Safety Council 

Link 

https://www.gov.cy/mtcw/documents/stratigiko-schedio-odikis-asfaleias/ 

2.2.  Road Safety Governance 

The  Ministry  of  Communications  and  Works  and  the  Road  Safety  Council,  which  is  the 
national  statutory  body  for  the  coordination  of  all  government  authorities  involved  in  road 
safety, are responsible for the formulation of the national road safety strategy.  

Also, the Road Safety Unit is responsible for the monitoring of road safety developments in 
the country. 

2.3.  Main Safety Issues 

According  to  the  Road  Safety  Strategic  Plan  of  Cyprus,  based  on  the  national  road  safety 
statistics of the period 2017-2019, some key problems emerge, which require special attention 
and priority. Briefly, these issues are the following: 

•  The  vast  majority  of  road  fatalities  and  serious  injuries  occur  inside  urban  areas 

(63.5% of fatalities and 80% of serious injuries) largely due to speeding. 

•  Very high percentage of motorcyclist and moped fatalities (31.4%) and especially on 

urban roads. 

•  Very high rate of pedestrian fatalities (23.5%). 

•  High rate of road deaths of young people aged up to 24 years (26.1%). 

1 https://www.gov.cy/mtcw/documents/stratigiko-schedio-odikis-asfaleias/ 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Very  high  rate  of  road  fatalities  of  foreigners  residing  in  Cyprus  (27.3%),  which  is 

disproportionate to the percentage of foreign citizens residing in Cyprus. 

•  General disobedience to road traffic rules, with: 

o  violation of speed limits (37% inside urban areas, 19% on rural roads, 64% on 

motorways) 

o  driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs (15.2% of fatal crashes were 

attributed to drink driving and 8.3% to drug driving),  

o  non-use of seat belts especially in the rear seats (56% of killed passenger car 

occupants were not wearing seat-belts), 

o  non-use of helmets (44% of killed motorcyclists were not wearing helmets),  
o  use  of  mobile  phone  while  driving  (24%  of  fatal  crashes  were  attributed  to 

careless driving/driver distraction). 

2.4.  Road Safety Targets 

The following general targets have been set at the Road Safety Strategic Plan 2021-2030 of 
Cyprus: 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in fatalities compared to 2020 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in serious injuries compared to 2020 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in slight injuries compared to 2020 

In addition to the above general targets, Cyprus sets the following specific targets, in relation 
to the road user types where there is a particular problem: 

Table 6.2: Specific targets for the reduction of road crash casualties 

Nr of killed and seriously injured 
persons 

2020 
(Baseline) 

Target 2030  
(% reduction) 

Inside urban areas 

PTWs 

Motor vehicle drivers under 25 y.o.  

Pedestrians and cyclists 

Foreigners 

199 

111 

42 

62 

76 

2.5.  Road Safety Measures 

-60% 

-60% 

-60% 

-60% 

-60% 

A total of 158 road safety measures divided in eight fields of actions are included in the 
road safety strategic plan of Cyprus2. In practice, some of these measures are further divided 
into more detailed sub-measures. 

2 https://www.gov.cy/mtcw/documents/stratigiko-schedio-odikis-asfaleias/ 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 6.3: Road safety fields of actions and number of actions 

Field of Actions 

Actions 

1.  Legislation, road traffic code and enforcement 

2.  Driver training and testing 

3.  Road safety education, publicity and awareness-raising 

4.  Safer roads and mobility 

5.  Post-crash care 

6.  Safer vehicles 

7.  Road safety research 

8.  Organisational structure and operation 

Total 

3.  Road Safety Progress 

3.1.  Road Safety Outcomes 

34 

13 

34 

37 

16 

11 

2 

11 

158 

Based on data for 2024, Cyprus ranked 14th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest 
numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants. In fact, 44 road fatalities per million inhabitants 
were recorded that year, which is slightly better than the EU average (45).  

Figure 6.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024  

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan). 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 6.2 Road fatalities and target 2030  
(Source CARE database) 3 

Figure 6.3 Serious road injuries  
(Source: CARE database)4 

In 2024, the number of fatalities decreased by 21% compared to 20194. Thus, Cyprus is almost 
on track to meet the 2030 target of halving the number of road fatalities although as a 
small country the number of fatalities is subject to annual fluctuations. In addition, the 
number of serious injuries decreased by 26% in 2022 compared to 2019. Thus, Cyprus appears 
on track to meet the 2030 target of halving the number of serious injuries. 

Also, Cyprus is well on track to meet the remaining targets set in the plan (if one uses 2019 as 
the baseline year), with the observed number of casualties being lower than the target values 

3 It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for 2020 and 2021 for many 
European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was 
associated with a significant drop in road traffic crashes and fatalities. 
4 For all Member States, 2019 has been used as the baseline year for the monitoring of 2030 targets in this report, 
which is used at EU level. Cyprus has set 2020 as the baseline year. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
in 2022 for all categories. 

Table 6.4: Monitoring of road safety targets, 2022 

Nr of killed and seriously injured 
persons 

2019 
(Baseline) 

Target 2022  

Observed 
2022 

Difference 

Slight Injuries 

Inside urban areas 

PTWs 

Motor vehicle drivers under 25 y.o.  

Pedestrians and cyclists 

Foreigners 

333 

301 

138 

49 

94 

127 

288 

252 

115 

41 

79 

106 

215 

223 

108 

46 

67 

103 

-73 

-29 

-7 

+5 

-12 

-3 

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Cyprus shows a relatively high 
proportion of powered two-wheelers and of 18- to 24-year-olds5. In fact, PTWs accounted for 
19% of road fatalities and 18% of serious injuries in 2022. 

An  overview  of  the  evolution  of  road  crash  fatalities  and  serious  injuries  during  the  period 
2019-2022 is provided below for specific types of roads, crashes and road users. Overall, in 
Cyprus, road crash fatalities and serious injuries were declined for all groups examined below.  

It is also noted that the number of seriously injured cyclists was decreased to a lesser extent 
compared to the other road user types (5% compared to 19% decrease in total serious injuries). 

Table 6.5: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2022 

Fatalities 

2019 

2022 

%  
in 2022 

% change 
2019-2022 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

52 

32 

17 

3 

- 

31 

14 

16 

1 

13 

37 

25 

9 

3 

- 

20 

11 

10 

4 

6 

- 

68% 

24% 

8% 

- 

54% 

30% 

27% 

11% 

16% 

-29% 

-22% 

-47% 

- 

- 

-35% 

-21% 

-38% 

- 

-54% 

5  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Cyprus.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 6.6: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2022 

Serious Injuries 

2019 

2022 

%  
in 2022 

% change 
2019-2022 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

340 

269 

51 

20 

- 

226 

110 

122 

4 

76 

253 

198 

45 

10 

- 

174 

78 

98 

8 

49 

- 

78% 

18% 

4% 

- 

69% 

31% 

39% 

3% 

19% 

-26% 

-26% 

-12% 

-50% 

- 

-23% 

-29% 

-20% 

- 

-36% 

3.2.  Road Safety Performance Indicators 

The use rates of helmet among powered two wheelers in Cyprus are lower than in the EU on 
average.  

Table 6.7: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 - 2025 
(Source: ERSO, Country Profiles) 

Speeding6 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways 
Rural Roads 
Urban Roads 

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b 

Front 
Rear 
Child restraint systems (roadside observations) 
Child restraint systems (in-vehicle inspections) 

Helmet use rates (%) a 

PTW driver 
PTW passenger 
Cyclist 

DUI of Alcoholc 
(self-reported) 

Cyprus 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

46.5 
45.7 
26.1 

91.1 
61.4 
87.4 
/ 

87.4 
87.8 
- 

48.0 
71.0 
51.0 

95.8 
86.9 
- 
/ 

87.7 
93.7 
- 

- 
- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 
67.0 
- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

- 
- 
- 

92.4 
69.9 
83.3 
- 

97.6 
97.0 
34.5 

% of car drivers who have driven at least once in the 
last 30 days over the legal limit 

- 

- 

11.8 

11.8 

Driver Distraction a 

6 An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does 
not allow for a straightforward comparison.  

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cyprus 

EU 

% of drivers not using hand-held mobile 
device/phone while driving 

Vehicle Safety 

2022 

2025 

90.6 

93.8 

% of new passenger cars rated with 4 EuroNCAP 
stars and above a 
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)d 

87.9 

90.0 

- 

- 

2022 

94.8 

83.6 

12.3 

2025 

94.5 

82.7 

12.5 

Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: 
*2025 data only for weekdays 

4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1.  Implementation Progress 

Road Safety Management 

Cyprus  starts  from  a  medium  level  in  two  road  safety  areas  related  to  Road  Safety 
Management and from a low level in the remaining two areas. In 2024, the measures related 
to  the  areas  of  the  national  road  safety  budget  and  legislation  are  on  track,  while  the 
implementation of the measures in the remaining areas has not started yet. 

Table 6.8: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
safety management 

B1 

Road Safety Management 

1 

2 

3 

4 

National road safety authority 

National road safety budget 

Road safety legislation 

National road safety observatory 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

medium 

low 

medium 

low 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

not started 

on track 

on track 

not started 

More specifically, the existing interministerial Road Safety Council is chaired by the Minister 
of  Transport,  Communications  and  Works,  since  its  formation  in  1996.  During  all  Council 
meetings, the Minister of Justice and Public Order should participate together with the Police 
Chief, along with all governmental stakeholders involved. The long-term goal for this Council 
is  to  evolve  into  a  National  Road  Safety  Authority.  However,  procedures  for  this 
transformation have yet to commence. 

Additionally, efforts are being made by the Road Safety Council and the Ministry of Transport 
to increase the allocated State Budget for improving road safety levels. Also, the update of 
the road traffic code is in progress.  

Finally, currently all statistics related to road crashes are collected by the Police, who prepare 
regular reports that are sent to the European Commission and are published on their official 
website. It is envisaged to incorporate this task within the scope of the National Road Safety 
Authority activities, however, this task has not started yet. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safe Road User Behaviour 

In relation to the pillar of safe road user behaviour, Cyprus starts from a low level in 2021 in 
almost  all  road  safety  areas,  except  communication  campaigns  and  professional  drivers.  In 
2024, most of the relevant measures to this pillar are on track. Only the implementation of the 
measures related to education and vulnerable road users has delayed. 

Table 6.9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
user behaviour 

B2 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Enforcement 

Education 

New drivers training 

Communication campaigns 

Measures for vulnerable road users 

Measures for professional drivers 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

low 

medium 

low 

high 

on track 

delayed 

on track 

on track 

delayed 

on track 

More specifically, as an example of good practice, traffic enforcement cameras (fixed and 
mobile) were installed in 2022-2024 at key locations of the urban and rural road network. The 
effectiveness of this newly introduced measure (enforcement cameras) is still under evaluation, 
therefore, the preliminary effectiveness results are not representative. 

Road safety is part of the curricula in primary and secondary schools in Cyprus. However, road 
safety  education  is  lagging  for  adult  road  users,  which  depends  mostly  on  volunteer  bases 
from NGO's, road users groups/ companies that have signed the Road Safety Charter and the 
Government's Road Safety Ambassadors. The latter are composed of an ex-professional driver 
and a young road trauma victim. They go to  speak to  Ministry of defence camps,  students, 
public  groups.  This  helps  as  the  audiences  hear  from  people  who  have  been  through  road 
trauma.   

Moreover, the competent authority for driver licences is undertaking changes to the existing 
procedure that reinforce the need for training of new drivers. This requires changes to the 
existing legislation which have been approved by the Parliament. The relevant law will be put 
in place in 2026.  

Also,  targeted  campaigns  take  place  throughout  the  year  by  the  Road  Safety  Council,  the 
Police and the organisations that have signed the Road Safety Charter, with the assistance of 
the Road Safety Ambassadors. 

The  existing  national  legislation  defining  the  requirements  for  professional  motorbike 
riders  (food  deliveries,  couriers  etc.)  was  reviewed  and  amended  and  it  will  be  in  place  in 
2026. The requirements for professional drivers of HGVs and buses of the national legislation 
are in line with EU Directive 2003/59. The Ministry of Transport has given incentives to buy 
safe motorcycle clothes (€500 per padded jacket). 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, Cyprus starts from a low level in all related road safety areas, 
except campaigns on speeding, for which the baseline is assessed as medium. In 2024, most of 
the relevant measures to this pillar are on track. The implementation of the measures related to 
monitoring speeding has not started yet. 

Table 6.10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
speeds 

B3 

Safe Speeds 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Update of speed limits 

Enforcing speed limits 

Campaigns on speeding 

Monitoring speeding 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

low 

low 

medium 

low 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

on track 

on track 

on track 

not started 

More specifically, the roll-out of 30km/h zones in urban areas takes place from 2022.  

Also, enforcement speed cameras (mobile) have been installed during the period 2022-2024.  

As referred above, targeted campaigns are carried out on an annual basis by the Road Safety 
Council, the Police and the organisations that have signed the Road Safety Charter, with the 
assistance of the Road Safety Ambassadors.  

Concerning  monitoring  of  speeding,  Police  undertake  such  studies  periodically.  A  more 
recent study was also carried out as part of the EU Baseline project in 2022, which highlighted 
the need for increased speed monitoring inside urban areas. 

The Ministry has made available €500,000 to be given to municipalities to implement 30km/h 
zones  because  budget  was  identified  as  an  obstacle.  Incentives  are  to  pay  for  the 
implementation such as road signs and markings. 

Safe Roads 

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, based on the self-reported assessment, the baseline is low in 
two areas (City Mobility & Safety Plans and Urban infrastructure for VRUs), medium in other 
two areas (Rural Roads Safety Interventions and Motorways safety management) and high in 
the  remaining  two  areas  (Road  design  standards  and  Road  safety  audit  and  inspections).  In 
2024,  all  measures  are  on  track,  while  the  implementation  of  the  measures  related  to  road 
design standards and road safety audit and inspections has been completed. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 6.11: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
roads 

B4 

Safe Roads 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

City mobility & safety plans 

Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

Rural roads safety interventions 

Motorways safety management 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

medium 

medium 

high 

high 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

completed 

completed 

More  specifically,  targeted  measures  are  being  implemented  as  part  of  the  periodical 
assessment of the national road network and road safety inspections of existing roads. On 
the other hand, more targeted measures, both in infrastructure and road user education, need to 
be taken for urban areas.    

For the assessment of dangerous locations reported on the road network, ad-hoc assessments 
are carried out by governmental experts forming the interdepartmental Technical Committee 
for resolving Traffic and Road safety issues.  

Also, ongoing efforts for the installation of ITS on motorways are in progress. 

Finally, geometric road design standards are in place and are being applied. Also, procedures 
and guidelines on road safety audits and inspections are in place and are being applied on the 
roads, as specified in the EU Directives 2008/96/EC and (ΕU) 2019/1936. 

Safe Vehicles 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Vehicles, Cyprus starts from a medium level in the areas of fleet 
renewal and vehicle technical inspections and from a low level in the remaining two areas. In 
2024, all measures are on track, except those related to the automation preparation. 

Table 6.12: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
vehicles 

B5 

Safe Vehicles 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Fleet renewal 

Promotion of ADAS 

Technical vehicle inspection 

Automation preparation 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

medium 

low 

medium 

low 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

on track 

on track 

on track 

not started 

In  Cyprus,  the  government  provides  incentives/subsidies  to  remove  old  vehicles  by 
subsidizing the purchase of new electric or plug in hybrid vehicles. Within this context, the 
promotion of ADAS is also carried out. 

Also,  technical  inspections  are  compulsory  for  all  vehicles,  and  from  2024  they  are  also 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
mandatory for motorcycles. 

Post Crash Care 

Regarding the Post-Crash Care pillar, Cyprus starts from a medium level in 2021 in the area 
of the reduction of EMS reaction time and from a high level in the area of supporting injured 
people. The implementation of all measures of this pillar has been completed. 

According to a recent study that was undertaken as part of the EU Baseline project in 2022, the 
95th percentile of the EMS response time of EMS was calculated at 20 minutes and up to 8 
minutes for the 50% of road crashes. This was found to be in line with EU targeted response 
times. The National Road Safety Strategic Plan sets specific response times.  

An Accident & Emergency specialised department has been set up at the General Hospital 
of Nicosia, for the proper treatment of people injured at road crashes. 

Table 6.13: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to post 
crash care 

B6 

Post Crash Care 

1 

2 

Reduce EMS reaction time 

Support people injured 

4.2.  Gaps 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

medium 

high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

completed 

completed 

Based on the self-reported assessment, the main gaps reported are the understaffed technical 
services and the insufficient organisation of the Authorities. This has a negative effect on 
the progress of the strategy implementation in all areas of the road safety management pillar, 
except legislation. 

In addition to the above gaps, limited budget and insufficient coordination between involved 
road  stakeholders  are  reported  as  obstacles  for  the  implementation  of  measures  related  to 
vulnerable road users, road safety campaigns, as well as for measures related to the safe speeds 
pillar.  

Also,  the  insufficient  state  budget  for  road  safety,  but  also  household  budget  constraints 
based  on  the  economy,  are  affecting  progress  in  the  areas  of  fleet  renewal  and  ADAS 
promotion. 

Finally,  regarding  the  speed  enforcement,  there  is  reduced  operational  capacity  due  to 
understaffing of the Traffic Police.  

5.  Conclusions and Recommendations 

In the road safety strategic plan for the decade 2021-2030 of Cyprus, the targets of halving the 
number of road fatalities, serious and slight injuries in 2030 compared to 2020 have been 
set. Also, five additional targets have been defined in relation to specific road user types of 
high risk. A total of 158 road safety measures grouped into eight fields of actions are included 
in the plan.  

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In 2024, Cyprus, performed slightly better than the EU average with 44 road fatalities per 
million  inhabitants.  Compared  to  the  EU  average,  the  distribution  of  fatalities  in  Cyprus 
shows a relatively high proportion of powered two-wheelers and of 18- to 24-year-olds. 

Based on preliminary data, between 2019 and 2024, a decrease of 21% in road fatalities was 
recorded, indicating that Cyprus is almost on track to  meet the 2030 target of halving the 
number of road fatalities. In addition, serious injuries decreased by 26% in 2022 compared 
to 2019. 

Regarding the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national road safety 
action plan for the period 2021-2024, based on the self-reported assessment, progress has been 
made in most road safety areas, while delays are met in 10 areas mainly due to understaffed 
services, limited budget and insufficient organisation of the authorities.  

Finally, progress in the implementation of the planned actions is broadly well on track, which 
is reflected in part in the evolution of the total number of fatalities (albeit Cyprus has small 
numbers which are subject to annual fluctuations). However, significant delays are met in the 
implementation of the plan due to organisational, budget and staff-related issues. It is therefore 
necessary to resolve the obstacles preventing or delaying the implementation of the road safety 
strategy and to  speed up the setting  of the planned road safety  measures, with  emphasis  on 
those related to urban infrastructure, vulnerable road users and safe speeds. 

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