First-aid service reactivates accident prevention unit

Greece’s National First Aid Center (EKAV) has reactivated its accident prevention division after 13 years of inactivity, due to the high number of road accidents in Greece.

According to a recent report on public safety by the European Council, Greece had 739 deaths (or 69 deaths per million) from road accidents in 2017, much higher than the EU average of 50 deaths per million.

The accident prevention division proposes in a report that Greece cuts the blood alcohol limit for drivers to zero and reduces speed limits. It said police must monitor drink driving rigorously and impose fines according to the law.

Giorgos Kouvidis, a radiologist and member of the accident prevention division, told Kathimerini studies have shown that a 5 percent reduction in average traffic speeds would lead to a 30 percent drop in deaths.

“Greece is among the countries with the highest speed limits in Europe. For highways it is 130 kilometers per hour,” he said.