Cyprus police issue 550 fines in week-long crackdown on phone use while driving

From 24 to 30 August, Cyprus police conducted an island-wide awareness and road-check campaign targeting driving without both hands free — that is, driving with a mobile phone or another object in the driver’s hand. A total of 550 citations were issued during the week of checks.

Of these, 520 concerned the use of a mobile phone while driving, while the remaining 30 involved other objects held by drivers.

In Cyprus, talking on the phone while driving carries a fine of €150 and between 2 and 4 penalty points. If a driver repeats the offence within three years, the penalty doubles to €300 and up to 8 points.

Police remind drivers that distraction is one of the main factors increasing the risk of being involved in a crash: it sharply reduces a driver’s reaction time, with phones playing a decisive role in this regard.

According to data for 2023–2025, inattentive driving and distraction became the leading cause of serious and fatal road crashes in Cyprus: they were linked to 22.1% of road deaths and 29.4% of serious injuries recorded during that period.