The five policy directions pursued by the government to further increase road safety and reduce fatal accidents were presented by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the 'Panos Mylonas' Road Safety Institute on Monday.
Hatzidakis announced that a new traffic code is to be submitted for a vote in Parliament within May and noted that the situation in Greece had improved but still lagged significantly relative to the rest of Europe.
"We have fewer collisions, fewer dead and fewer injured. In 1998, when the worst performance was recorded, 2,182 people had lost their lives. In 2023, these were down to 627. We have made some steps forward, therefore, but these are not enough as, in comparison with the European Union, the numbers are not at all encouraging. Between 2019 and 2024 we had a 3% reduction in fatal road accidents, when the equivalent reduction in the European Union was 13%. In 2024, however, we had a 4% increase relative to 2023. This alone shows that there is no room for complacency," Hatzidakis said.
Among the policies adopted in response, he listed the modernisation of infrastructure, a renewal of public transport fleets and the expansion of metro systems, including their extended operation at the weekend, the new traffic code introducing a 30-km per hour speed limit in inhabited areas and tougher penalties for violations, the increased number of checks for traffic violations, including with the use of speed cameras and other technology, and better education of children in road safety.