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Despite all the measures, penalties, and regulations implemented in Turkey, traffic accidents continue to result in thousands of material and moral losses every year. Traffic accidents, which are also crucial from the perspective of the insurance industry, have increased by 14.35% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Directorate of Traffic Services of the General Directorate of Security.
According to the data released by TUIK (Turkish Statistical Institute), the number of traffic accidents in Turkey was 1,313,000 in 2015, 1,182,000 in 2016, 1,202,000 in 2017, 1,229,000 in 2018, and 1,168,000 in 2019. However, there was an increase in the accident count in 2021. According to the data from the Directorate of Traffic Services of the General Directorate of Security, the accident rate increased by 8.12% between the first halves of 2020 and 2021. In the first half of 2022, the accident rate increased by 30.79%, reaching 225,071 accidents. In the first half of 2023, the number of accidents was recorded at 257,373, indicating a 14.35% increase.
Traffic accidents result in the loss of thousands of lives or injuries every year. According to TUIK data, in 2016, 7,300 people lost their lives due to traffic accidents, followed by 7,427 in 2017, 6,675 in 2018, and 5,473 in 2019. In 2016, the number of people injured in traffic accidents was 303,812, which decreased to 300,383 in 2017, increased to 307,071 in 2018, and decreased again to 283,234 in 2019.
In June, there was a peak in the number of accidents
According to the accident statistics published by the Directorate of Traffic Services of the General Directorate of Security, there were 257,373 traffic accidents in the first six months of 2023. This figure, which was 225,071 in the same period of the previous year, indicates a 14.35% increase in accidents during the first half of the year. The highest number of accidents occurred in the month of June. In the first six months of the year, there were 1,079 fatal accidents, and the number of injury-related accidents increased to 103,933. Excluding non-injury accidents where parties agreed and prepared a report among themselves, there were 152,361 accidents resulting in only material damage. As a result of all these accidents, 159,235 people were injured, and 1,345 people lost their lives.
The majority of fatal and injury-related accidents are due to "side collisions" and "pedestrian collisions”
Fatal and injury-related traffic accidents are primarily caused by "side collisions," accounting for the highest share at 32.8%. In the second place, there are accidents involving pedestrians, constituting 17% of fatal and injury-related accidents. Following closely are accidents caused by "running off the road" at 11.9%.
Accidents resulting from rear-end collisions make up 10.6% of the total. Other factors such as collisions with objects or obstacles, mutual collisions, collisions with stationary vehicles, side-to-side collisions, vehicle ejections, collisions with animals, chain collisions, multiple collisions, and objects falling from vehicles also play significant roles in the formation of fatal and injury-related traffic accidents.
The majority of accidents are driver-related
In the first six months of 2023, the most significant driver fault observed was the failure to adjust vehicle speed to road, weather, and traffic conditions, with 41,614 drivers committing this error. Additionally, 17,385 drivers caused accidents by not yielding the right of way at intersections, crossings, and narrow road sections, while 11,480 drivers were involved in accidents for not adhering to lane-keeping and lane-changing rules. Other major mistakes made by drivers include rear-end collisions in 10,010 accidents, failure to follow turning rules in 8,636 accidents, and non-compliance with general maneuvering conditions in 4,638 accidents. Drivers frequently commit other errors such as not stopping at red lights and stop signals, entering areas with "no entry" traffic signs, colliding with legally parked vehicles, failing to follow other traffic safety rules, driving under the influence of alcohol, not adhering to lane-keeping and lane-changing rules, excessive speeding, not slowing down at pedestrian and school crossings, not yielding the right of way to pedestrians, passing in prohibited zones, and parking incorrectly or in restricted areas.
Car accidents are at a significantly high level
In the first half of 2023, out of the 173,235 vehicles involved in fatal or injury-related traffic accidents, 86,616 were automobiles, 25,232 were vans, 30,817 were motorcycles, 4,202 were minibusses, and 3,690 were bicycles. Looking at other types of vehicles that contributed to accidents, there were 4,077 trucks, 3,293 buses, 6,820 motorized bicycles, 3,141 buses, 1,012 tractors, and 419 special-purpose vehicles. Among the vehicles causing death and injuries, there were 135 ambulances, 172 construction vehicles, 69 tankers, 47 off-road vehicles, 27 horse-drawn carts, 23 trains, and 45 trams.
The highest number of fatalities was recorded in Istanbul
In the first 6 months, the highest number of fatal and injury-related accidents occurred in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, and Bursa, while the lowest occurred in Tunceli, Ardahan, Bayburt, Hakkari, and Iğdır. Istanbul had the highest number of fatalities in traffic accidents with 82, followed by Ankara with 74.
415.1 thousand vehicles were banned from traffic
According to the data released by the General Directorate of Security, in the first six months of 2023, a total of 971,037 traffic fines were imposed on drivers, and 4,516,728 traffic fines were issued to vehicle license plates. During the first six months, 1,187 fines were imposed on pedestrians, and 6,582 fines were issued to passengers. The total number of traffic fines in the first six months reached 5,495,534. Additionally, 415,192 vehicles received bans from traffic in the first half of the year. |
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