Cyprus police intend to obtain the legal right to immediately confiscate a driving license on the spot for serious traffic violations. This primarily concerns cases of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Active consultations on the matter are already underway with the Ministry of Transport, and the legislative changes are being treated as a priority.
The Traffic Police Department is particularly insistent on this issue. Its representatives emphasize that combining driving with alcohol or narcotic substances poses a direct threat to life and turns such drivers into “moving bombs” on Cyprus’s roads. In recent years, a steady increase in such violations has been recorded, including cases involving the simultaneous use of alcohol and drugs.
Why the current rules no longer work
At present, Cyprus law provides that a driver caught using alcohol or drugs is detained and, as a rule, released the next day. At the same time, they retain the right to drive until their court hearing. An additional problem is that a court summons may be served months later—or may not reach the offender at all due to difficulties in locating them.
It is precisely this legal “gap” between the offense and the punishment that, in the police’s view, undermines the preventive effect of the law. Therefore, it is proposed to introduce a mechanism of immediate notification, under which the driver would receive an official document on the spot regarding temporary license suspension, while criminal proceedings are launched in parallel. This approach would ensure instant consequences for dangerous behavior behind the wheel and reduce drawn-out bureaucratic procedures.
Cyprus road statistics for 2025: alarming figures
Traffic police data for 2025 confirm the seriousness of the situation. Over the year, 11 fatal cases were recorded that were directly linked to driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both. By October 2025, 3,226 fines had been issued for exceeding the permitted alcohol level, and 869 reports were filed for positive drug tests. For Cyprus, such figures are considered extremely high.
In total, 45 people were killed on the island’s roads in 2025 in 45 traffic accidents. This is four more victims than in 2024, when 41 fatalities were recorded. The increase continues after a sharp decline in 2023, when 34 people were killed in 32 accidents—then considered a historically low figure.
Who most often becomes a victim of accidents
Motorcyclists suffered particularly heavy losses in 2025. Of the 45 fatalities, 16 were motorcycle riders or passengers; one person was riding a moped, three were cyclists, and nine were pedestrians. The victims also included 13 car drivers and three passengers. The age factor remains alarming as well: 16 of those killed were under the age of 25.
In terms of accident causes, careless and inattentive driving remains in first place, including the use of mobile phones behind the wheel. In 2025, 11 deaths were linked to driver distraction, another 11 to alcohol and drugs, and six to violations of the rule of keeping to the left side of the road. Serious accidents were also recorded, along with two fatal cases caused by speeding.
When and with whom accidents happen most often
Statistics show that the most dangerous day of the week remains Saturday, followed by Friday. These are periods when residents and visitors of Cyprus are more likely to travel for отдых, развлечений, or visits. Ten of the 45 deaths in 2025 occurred between 20:00 and midnight. Among the victims, 28 were citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and 17 were foreigners, including 11 third-country nationals and six citizens of European Union member states.
What could change in 2026
Against the backdrop of the discussed legislative initiatives, it is expected that as early as 2026 Cyprus may move toward a stricter road enforcement model, closer to the practice of other EU countries. Immediate license suspension, expanded alcohol and drug testing, and the use of digital databases to speed up court procedures are being considered as key steps to reduce accidents and fatalities on the island’s roads.
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