Last week, the non-government organisation 'Reaction' called for stronger penalties for drivers 'who do not ensure their child passengers are seated properly'. About time, but I doubt it will be enforced.
It is horrifying to see how many parents pick their children up from school and pop them in the front seat, often without a seatbelt, and many times standing, or moving around.
I am in no way going to justify this extremely dangerous habit, and it is certainly not something I would ever do, but this is once again one of those situations where cultural attitudes play a large part, rather than neglect. Most of these parents are otherwise good, loving, committed parents, but they are completely ignorant and blasé about the dangers, because we live on a small island that is more like one big neighbourhood. They reason that they only live a few minutes from the school so it is okay; their journey is too short for anything to happen, and it is not worth arguing with the child about sitting in their seat for the sake of travelling a small distance, so what harm is there?
The harm is over 4,300 children killed in car-related accidents in the EU every year, with 32% of these pertaining to children who are actually in a vehicle at the time of the accident. In no way, shape or form is it something you can rationalise, and it is not okay to expose vulnerable little lives to these risks, when as a parent or guardian, the responsibility for a child's safety is in your hands.
In the same vein, people still smoke in the car, speak on their mobile phones, speed, drive under the influence of alcohol and avoid wearing a seatbelt. The reason is again a cultural one; it has always been this way in Cyprus and as the laws are rarely enforced, what's the big deal?
We desperately need an attitude change. Firstly, and most importantly, the powers-that-be need to enforce the laws they make. Whilst law-breaking citizens are at fault and are not justified in their actions, one can almost understand the attitude of not taking the law seriously when the lawmakers themselves don't. And anyway, most of the time you can dodge any penalties courtesy of koumbaro or the flash of some bare skin if you are tall and blonde.
We all know that despite a no-smoking law in covered/public places, lawmakers themselves are lighting up left, right and centre (visit a court on any given day...). We all know that after 11pm, club and bar owners are 'unofficially' given the green light to allow their patrons to smoke, and anyone who complains is a social pariah. We all know that only a small percentage of perpetrators of any law breaking (traffic violations etc) will actually be booked in the first place, whilst a blind eye will be turned to the rest (traffic wardens in Larnaca are good at this). Laws on the island are basically one big joke.
So, let's have a pop quiz. Which of these (very) common practises are illegal: parking on the pavement, planting trees on the pavements outside your house, letting your dog foul the streets, lighting a bonfire on a beach. Do you know? Who cares anyway… this is Cyprus my friend!
First appeared in The Cyprus Weekly, 10/10/14
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