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The General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament is scheduled to hold its first meeting of the week on Tuesday with a busy agenda. This week’s main debate at the assembly will focus on proposed amendments to the Traffic Law, aimed explicitly at increasing fines for traffic safety violations.
Proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the amendments address a wide array of road safety violations.
One amendment introduces a fine of TL 140,000 ($3,345) for motorists who modify license plates beyond recognition, and it also mandates the impoundment of their vehicles for 30 days. The amendments also enforce the installation of tachographs for trucks and passenger buses, as well as taximeters for taxis.
Another amendment involves the suspension of a driving license for motorists violating speed limits. Those exceeding speed limits by up to 55 kilometers (34 miles) in residential areas will have their driving license suspended for 30 days for each violation. The period of suspension will be higher for those exceeding speed limits by up to 65 kilometers per hour and by up to 66 kilometers per hour.
Motorists who deny the right of way to others will be subject to a TL 15,000 fine.
Motorists who fail to allow emergency vehicles (from ambulances to fire trucks) to overtake them will face a fine of TL 46,000 and have their driving license suspended for 30 days.
Amendments also aim to address the issue of loud music from vehicles, particularly in residential areas already affected by noise pollution. Motorists disturbing people with loud noise from their vehicles will be fined TL 16,000.
Motorists who run red lights and cause traffic accidents will have their driving licenses suspended for 60 days. They will only have their license reinstated after undertaking a psychiatric exam.
Motorists who step out of a vehicle with the intent to stalk drivers in road rage incidents will face a fine of TL 180,000, a 60-day suspension of their driving license, and their vehicle will be impounded for 30 days. The same penalties and suspension will apply to motorists stalking other vehicles in traffic. Motorists using a cellphone while driving will be fined TL 5,000. Additionally, motorists racing each other on the road will be fined TL 46,000 each and have their driving licenses suspended for two years.
The amendments also increase prison sentences to up to three years for motorists who leave the scene of accidents involving injuries and fatalities without permission from law enforcement officials.
Türkiye is aiming to reduce traffic fatalities to below 3,000 by 2030, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said last Tuesday, outlining the country’s road map to improve road safety.
“According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data, by 2030, our population is projected to reach 88.1 million, but we aim to reduce traffic fatalities below 3,000, approximately 7.5 per day,” Yerlikaya said during a live broadcast from the Interior Ministry’s Security and Emergency Coordination Center (GAMER) in Ankara.
Yerlikaya noted that the amendments to the Highway Traffic Law are part of a broader effort to strengthen road safety nationwide. “Our goal in traffic safety is zero fatalities, zero injuries and zero material damage. This should rise above politics, disagreements and competition and we must work in solidarity to reach it,” he said, recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s address in February 2021.
Türkiye currently has around 86 million residents, 32 million vehicles and 37.5 million licensed drivers, Yerlikaya said. Roads, tunnels and highways have expanded significantly, but he stressed that compliance with traffic rules remains critical. “If everyone respects traffic rules, traffic safety can reach the desired level,” he added.
Traffic fatalities have fluctuated in recent years. In 2015, 7,530 people were killed on Türkiye’s roads, an average of 20.6 deaths per day. By 2021, fatalities had dropped to 5,362 annually, or 14.7 per day, before rising again in 2023 to an average of 17.9 daily deaths. Yerlikaya attributed the rise to gaps in enforcement and a lack of widespread traffic awareness.
Speeding is a leading cause of accidents. Türkiye’s new point-based system penalizes drivers who exceed speed limits, even for first-time offenders. Yerlikaya stated that drivers exceeding 36 kph in 30 kph zones will face fines, and those going 76 kph over the speed limit can have their licenses suspended for 30 days. Repeat offenders must undergo psychiatric evaluations.
“Previously, license suspension occurred only after repeated violations. Now, even first-time extreme violations result in immediate consequences. We want drivers to understand the responsibility they have for others’ lives,” he explained.
