The police on Sunday announced that the upcoming week would be an “awareness week” for road safety, with a particular focus on driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The week will last from Monday until next Saturday and will see heightened police activity in terms of roadside tests and other actions taken with the aim of reducing the number of people driving while under the influence.

It is being held in coordination with the European Roads Policing Network Roadpol, with similar awareness weeks taking place across Europe.

“Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is one of the main causes of serious road collisions. Substances such as alcohol and drugs contribute to the reduction of mental and psychological effort exerted while driving, as well as to the reduction of a driver’s performance,” they said.

They added that this in turn increases one’s risk of being involved in a road traffic accident.

To this end, they said that between 2021 and 2023 in Cyprus, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol was the main cause of fatal road traffic accidents in Cyprus, with 23.4 per cent of fatal road traffic accidents occurring in this manner.

The second highest cause was careless driving or driving while distracted, with 16.2 per cent.

With this in mind, they said, “special emphasis is placed on those violations which are the main causes of serious road traffic accidents, such as excessive speed, using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt or a protective helmet, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”