With a broad majority, today the Hellenic Parliament approved the
new Traffic Road Code (RTC), a legislative framework that brings significant changes to road behavior and public safety, with the main goal of substantially reducing road accidents in the country. The new RTC establishes for the first time a coherent and gradual penalty system, focusing on systematic violations, providing stricter sanctions for repeated dangerous behaviors. The reform and changes are based, among other things, on specific data: Greece consistently remains above the European average in road deaths per million inhabitants, while violations such as mobile phone use, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt or helmet, and driving under the influence of alcohol remain critical causes of accidents. With the new provisions, the State clearly defines the framework of drivers’ responsibility and aims not only at imposing strict penalties, but primarily at shaping a new road safety culture.
The Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport,
Konstantinos Kyranakis stated regarding the adoption of the new Road Traffic Code that it does not aim at punishment, but at prevention, as it is not strictness for the sake of impressions. It is a necessary response to hard data, which translate into lives lost.