North Cyprus Road Traffic Accidents

Comments by Terry Carter

By Chris Elliott

Terry Carter the Founder and Former Operations Director of the Civil Emergency Service Volunteers (CESV) having read Can Gazi’s cyprusscene.com article about the Traffic Monster in the TRNC has written the following reply to Can and has also asked us to share it with the largest audience possible.

To read Can Gazi’s article, please click here.

“For Attention of Can Gazi.

Reference Road Traffic Accidents.

Dear Can,

As you know I was, and still am, involved in the training of the emergency services in the TRNC and despite training to advanced standards they are routinely abused and assaulted by the very people they try and protect while trying to save lives.

The TRNC road accident rate is the highest in the western world/middle east and it is appalling that this situation is allowed to occur. The public are to blame NOT the roads nor the Government as  they drive like grand prix drivers in all sorts of weather and road conditions. The police must be more proactive and not just speed check at the end of the month but more officers must be deployed instead of being office bound so that more offenders are caught. But it’s not just speeding but wearing of crash helmets!!! just look how many openly flaunt this very important law.

I did a series of first aid programmes for BRT and I strapped a pomegranate to a model babies head and bashed it onto a table it flew all over the studio just to illustrate what happens if a child hits a windscreen unrestrained.  200 telephone calls were received that day all said they didn’t realize what happened if their child was injured or killed. How many times do you see families with kids hanging out of the car/sun roof or bouncing on the back seat!!! an everyday occurrence.

What happens after every accident is they throw up their arms wailing and sobbing and blame everyone but themselves – it’s got to STOP. What effect does their irresponsibility have on the emergency services – most have wives and children themselves and having to go and pick up and treat maimed bleeding and dead on a daily basis just stop and think – would they like to do it.

I have advocated on more than one occasion the drunks, the young speeders and the people who just drive madly and badly should be forced to work in A&E departments and visit the morgues and see just what happens as a result of their carelessness.

I worked for many years with Dr Avci of the Traffic Accident Prevention Association (TKOD) in trying to get the message across but it appears that most people in the TRNC suffer from deafness and blindness on road issues but have very long tongues when complaining.

I am coming back in August for two months doing advanced training with the CESV and Emergency Services and hope to see you then.

Best regards

Terry Carter”

Editors note: The opinions, thoughts, postulations or proposals within the articles (news etc.) are but reflections of the author and do not, in any way, represent those of Cyprusscene.com.