A dauntingly large number of drivers and passengers in Cyprus fail to wear their seatbelts, according to a campaign carried out throughout the island by the Police Traffic Department.

The campaign lasted from July 5-18, and was part of the attempt to prevent and reduce road accidents, especially those that lead to serious injuries and deaths.

During these dates, the police reported 1,570 persons that were not wearing a seatbelt. Around 1,500 of these involved drivers or co-drivers sitting at the front seats of the vehicle, while 58 were reports of people sitting at the back seats without a seatbelt.

More specifically, 285 such cases were reported in Nicosia, 244 in Limassol, 322 in Paphos and 173 in Larnaca. Members of the Police Traffic Department Headquarters reported an additional 464 such offences island-wide.

The number of dead drivers and passengers in 2010 that were not wearing a seatbelt is striking. Out of the 18 dead drivers and passengers this year, 12, or 66,67 per cent, of them were not wearing a seatbelt, even though it is required by law to do so.