More than a year after authorities launched an unprecedented crackdown on people riding motorcycles and e-scooters without crash helmets, nearly 2,500 fines were issued nationwide over the past week, police said Monday.
A police statement said that 2,227 bikers or e-scooter drivers were caught riding without helmets between July 20-26, and 267 passengers. In the latter case the driver is fined as well as the passenger, being considered responsible for the safety of both people on the bike.
More than 1,600 violations were recorded among motorcycle drivers and passengers, and 742 among e-scooter riders. Police also fined 59 people on four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles for not wearing helmets.
The majority of the violations were in the Greater Athens region, followed by the southern Aegean Sea islands, including tourist hotspots such as Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini. Western Macedonia was the most law-abiding region, with just nine people fined.
Last year, the conservative government introduced new legislation severely toughening penalties and fines for common traffic violations, including non-use of crash helmets, drink-driving, driving while talking on the phone and running red lights.
