31,000 drivers reported for mobile phone use in three years

Driver distraction, including the use of mobile phones, was blamed for 11 of the 45 road deaths recorded in 2025 and has already been linked to more than five collisions this year, police said on Tuesday.

More than 31,000 drivers were reported for using mobile phones behind the wheel over the past three years, it added.

The figures were presented during the launch of a new awareness campaign on mobile phone use while driving, titled How Many Scrolls is a Life Worth? None. Hold the Wheel, organised by insurance company Anytime in cooperation with the traffic police’s prevention and awareness office.

According to police statistics, 31,066 reports for mobile phone use were issued over the last three years. In 2025, a total of 45 people lost their lives on Cyprus roads, with 11 deaths attributed to careless driving or driver distraction. Nine of the victims were pedestrians, eight were people aged under 25 and three were cyclists.

Traffic director Charis Evripidou said mobile phone use and driver distraction have consistently ranked among the leading causes of road collisions in recent years.

He said studies conducted abroad had shown that using a mobile phone while driving could be even more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol because it diverts a driver’s attention from the road for several seconds.

“Whether we are talking or scrolling, we should put the phone aside,” he said.

Evripidou said driver distraction remained the leading cause of fatal collisions in 2026, with more than five deadly crashes so far this year linked to inattentive driving.

Last year, more than 17 fatal collisions were associated with driver distraction, he added.

He noted that journeys in Cyprus are generally short and said there was little that could not wait 10, 20 or 30 minutes until a driver reached their destination.

The campaign includes roadside advertising, radio spots, a social media campaign featuring road safety ambassadors Andreas Aravis and Katerina Agapitou, and media discussions with the participation of police officers.

In addition, Anytime and the police will organise awareness events at military camps, universities and major events, including the Larnaca Marathon.

Interamerican Cyprus chief executive Kaiti Alexandrou said that behind every traffic accident and fatality lay a human life and a family whose lives could change in a matter of seconds.

She said mobile phone use while driving was not merely a bad habit but “a choice that can be prevented”.

Through the campaign, she said, the company hoped to help reduce collisions and encourage drivers to keep their phones aside when they take the wheel.