Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-12-20

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

December 20, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Toxic toy crusade

[02] Waging war on the kindly killers

[03] Council of Europe gives Turkey until February to pay up

[04] Akel protests Iraq bombing

[01] Toxic toy crusade

The leaflets were handed out to Christmas shoppers as many prepared to buy toys as Christmas gifts. On the list are products from well-known companies including Chicco, Fisher-Price, Gerber, Hasbro, Lamaze Infant Development, Playskool and Mattel.

The toys named are either made of PVC or include PVC parts. The European Union has found that two of the chemicals used to soften the vinyl, known as DINP and DEHP, can be absorbed from the substance at levels high enough to cause concern. When DINP is bought bottled by laboratories, it comes with a label warning that it may cause cancer and is harmful by inhalation, skin contact and if swallowed. But Greenpeace says that PVC toys on which the substance has been used are labelled non-toxic.

The Cyprus Consumers' Association has urged the government to look into the matter, saying they are aware of EU measures taken against vinyl toys, and are also looking "at what the United States is doing on the issue".

The Greenpeace flyers were handed out from 11am to 3pm. Anyone who didn't get one and would like a copy, or who wants further information can contact Greenpeace on 05-345051.

December 20, 1998

[02] Waging war on the kindly killers

The killers that George Voutounos hunts down are everywhere and anywhere.

They could be living next door. Few, if any of them, have criminal records. Most have jobs, homes, families, cars. They shop on weekends and often go to church on Sundays. They are often the pillars of society, or their children.

Then they change. It happens behind the wheel of a car. Genial shop owners, devoted teachers, concerned doctors, courteous clerks suddenly become killers. They're not after anyone in particular. Whoever gets in their way will do.

They're easy to catch; just follow trails of mangled steel, shattered glass, broken bodies and ruined lives. In his 35 years behind the badge, Voutounos, Commander of the Cyprus Police Traffic Department, says he has tracked "many, many" luminous rainbow trails of spilled petrol and blood.

In body counts alone, a homicide detective's work is so much Hollywood hype, he says: "They have 10, maybe 12 murders a year. We have 120 people killed" in road wrecks in that time.

Married, 53, with two adult sons, Voutounos is typical of many Cypriots: genuinely amiable, warm and welcoming. He is proud of his people's renown for generous hospitality, and he beams a broad, mustachioed smile at the mention.

But he darkens quickly when admitting these same Cypriots kill more of each other yearly in cars than the Turks have killed since invading the island in 1974. In all probability, he nods, more Cypriots have been slain by other Cypriots since 1974, than died in the events of that year's fateful summer.

"If every year we had 120 persons killed in battles with the Turks, everyone would cry. And this happens every day on our roads: Cypriots killing Cypriots.

"Part of this arises from traits that Cypriots themselves admitted to in a survey by Nicosia's Amer World Research Ltd. It showed that Cypriot drivers, while skilled, are egocentric, careless and risk-taking, immature and impulsive, always in a hurry, unsafe, easily angered and prone to show it - generally accidents waiting to happen. This may account for the Jekyll-Hyde change that occurs when Cypriots get behind the wheel. The effect, Voutounos's data show, is an accident every one hour; an accident with someone injured every three hours; a fatal accident every three days. From 1993 until 1997, 35,724 accidents caused injury to 22,699 people. Of these, 609 people died in 550 fatal accidents. From January until December 14, 1997, Cyprus had 97 fatal accidents that killed 111 people. In the same period this year, 94 fatal accidents had killed 100 people.

"We have had a 10 per cent reduction in fatal accidents over 1997," he said. This boils down to 11 fewer deaths and three fewer fatal wrecks in the 11-month-14-day period of 1998 than in 1997.

The fatality figures could be lower, Voutounos said, if the island had a paramedic ambulance service. Many people die on the way to hospital from car wrecks because the ambulance service is so poor, he said. "Actually they just transfer the victims from the site of the accident to the hospital," without giving any life-saving treatment, he said. "It's a negative because if they saved even five persons, the index of fatalities would drop.

"One third of the fatalities are tourists, many of whom are used to ambulance services that get them to hospital alive, he said. Additionally, most of Cyprus's fatal accidents occur on country roads. During the long drives from these often remote crash scenes, paramedics could save lives.

Thickset and fit, Voutounos bangs his desk, declaring it's high time to cut the carnage and end the island's notoriety as one of the deadliest drives in Europe.

His department has declared war on Cyprus's "kindly killers".

"We have increased our traffic personnel, and our presence on the roads. We are patrolling, especially the highways, 24-hours per day." During this holiday season, from December 19 to January 10, Voutounos' officers are paying special attention to drink-drivers, speeders, and drivers who overtake carelessly. His cops will use a mix of old- fashioned manpower, prowl cars and motorcycles, and some new-fangled radar guns and breathalysers.

Some of his blue-and-white patrol cars are deliberately visible, with their flashing blue roof-rack lights obvious warnings to drivers with heavy right feet.

It's the other patrol cars that reckless drivers need to worry about.

Their radar traps will be behind bushes, around curves, on bridge overpasses in unmarked cars. Radar guns will be mounted on roving patrol cars that slip up on drivers too busy talking on mobile phones to notice. The traps will be on main highways and on country roads, where the "kindly killers" ignore 'built-up area' signs.

"We have extended our radar patrols all over Cyprus. That's why we have achieved a reduction in fatalities," Voutounos said, "and I am optimistic that next year, we'll have even better results." So, how many of these radar units do the police have? He won't say. "We have enough. We have many. All stations have radar." Of the 94 fatal accidents in Cyprus until December 14, only 14 took place on motorways, while the remainder were small back roads or in towns, he said. This has prompted him to send radar teams and special, leather-clad rapid-reaction motorcycle squads into the villages this year.

And Voutounos has more up his sleeve.

He has organised a team for mechanical checks that carries out inspections at random, using roving patrols.

Cyprus in 1996 had Europe's highest per capita road death rate, but Voutounos said the island so far this year was in third place after Portugal and Greece, thanks to the 10 per cent drop in fatalities. "This is my goal," he said: "A 10 per cent (fatality) reduction per year... With the new measures, we can reduce the fatalities and put Cyprus within the middle of the European countries (in road deaths).

"Voutounos wants the House to budget money for new high-tech weapons to fight his war.

He wants cameras on highways and at traffic lights to catch speeders and signal-jumpers. A photograph of the in flagrantelicence plate will be mailed, with a ticket, to the offender's home.

Voutounos says his candid- camera proposal is with the Ministry of Communications & Works, which is responsible for preparing a bill for the House. He hopes the bill will be voted during 1999.

Voutounos also wants motor vehicles inspected before being licensed. The same Ministry of Communications and Works has sent the House a relevant bill, he said. "I am optimistic that very soon (it) will put into operation the stations for regular car inspections - general checks, tyres, lights, everything.

"He was unclear whether inspections would be annual, and done by the government or by licensed private auto repair shops. Regardless, he said, "without this certificate (of roadworthiness), you can't get a license." But Voutounos complains that bills on traffic- related matters have been languishing in the House for years. Costakis Christoforos, the House's director-general, is familiar with the bills on Voutounos' wish-list. He is also optimistic that action on them will take place next year. "It seems the discussion of all these bills are reaching an end. It's a matter of a few weeks... We are coming back (from the Holiday break) on January 14, and I see these provisions being enacted into law early in January next," Christoforos said.

Voutounos' also wants to persuade Education Minister Lycourgos Kappas to incorporate road safety lessons in the school curriculum. "So after 10 years, we have better drivers," he said.

Next, he said, he is planning to submit bills to introduce the point system for traffic law violations. The proposal is an old one, but he and Christoforos, the House's director-general, are optimistic about it now. The traffic chief also wants the House to force the owners of heavy vehicles, lorries to put grills on the back side of the vehicles to avoid fatalities caused when a motorist hits the rear by keeping him from going under the lorry.

Finally, he said, he was ready to enforce a new bill that he expects to be passed by the House soon to ban the use of mobile phones while driving. "When one hand is using the phone (and) the other shifting the gears, which hand is driving?" he asked.

It's a good question.

December 20, 1998

[03] Council of Europe gives Turkey until February to pay up

Reports from Strasbourg yesterday suggested that if Ankara still refused to pay after this extension the Council would begin to exert pressure on Turkey.

In July, Turkey was ordered by the European Court of Human Rights to pay Loizidou about $640,000 for the loss of her property in the Turkish occupied areas.

A first deadline of October 28 came and went without any action from Turkey. Ankara has dismissed the Court ruling as a political decision, saying it had no authority over the occupied areas and that any complaint should have been addressed to the authorities of the so-called 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus'.

The new deadline of February 8-9 coincides with the next Council assembly.

During Friday's meeting of the Deputy Ministers Committee, Cyprus' permanent representative to the CoE, Thalia Petrides, stressed that Turkey's refusal to comply with the Court ruling was unacceptable and would tarnish the reputation of the Council of Europe.

December 20, 1998

[04] Akel protests Iraq bombing

Some 50 protestors gathered at 11am to hand out literature and wave placards bearing slogans like "Yes to World Peace". In a statement, Akel condemned the military action, saying Britain and America have "again ignored the UN".

The party said the two countries were disregarding the loss of human life and using military force to impose their views on the world.

Akel suggested that instead, Britain and the US should support the pro- democracy Iraqis who were struggling against Saddam Hussein. It also accused them of having double standards in ignoring the fact that both Turkey and Israel were ignoring UN resolutions and breaching international law.

Akel has also sent a petition to UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Fellow opposition party Diko for its part yesterday also accused Britain and America of double standards, adding that although Saddam Hussein was guilty of ignoring UN resolutions, military action should only be undertaken after UN authorisation had been given.

For their part, the United Democrats said that as peace in the region was "fragile", any military action should be carried out only after careful consideration, while the European Democratic Renewal party said the bombing raids were not in line with the UN Charter, and constituted "a major breach" of international law.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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