The Turkish parliamentary committee on justice has approved legislative changes that will sharply increase penalties for traffic violations, with some fines reaching as high as 370,000 Turkish liras (almost 9,000 euros), reported “Türkiye Today”. The changes are part of the authorities' ambition to halve road deaths by 2030, BTA reported.
The legislative amendments were announced in a television interview by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who explained that fines for certain violations are increasing by up to 2,000 percent.
According to the new regulations, exceeding the speed limit in built-up areas by 6-10 km/h will result in a fine of 2,000 liras (about 45 euros), while exceeding the speed limit by 66 km/h will result in a fine of 30,000 liras (about 680 euros) and the loss of their license for 90 days.
“According to the World Health Organization, increasing the speed by one kilometer per hour increases the risk of death by 4 percent,“ Yerlikaya explained to CNN Türk. He said that speeding is responsible for 47 percent of fatal accidents in Turkey, with an average of 10 people dying every day in speed-related accidents.
A driver who leaves the scene of an accident without a valid reason will be fined 46,000 Turkish liras (over 1,000 euros). In addition, however, he will be deprived of his driving license for 2 years, and in cases of accidents where a person is killed or injured, he may receive a prison sentence of one to three years.
A fine of the same amount is also provided for drivers who do not give way to ambulances and fire engines, along with a one-month driving ban. “Drifting“ will carry a fine of 140,000 liras (nearly 3,200 euros) and a license suspension for 60 days. A second such violation will be punished with a permanent revocation of the driving license.
For using a mobile phone while driving, a fine of 5,000 liras (about 113 euros) is provided for a first offense, and more severe penalties are provided for repeat offenders. Illegal radar detectors will carry a fine of 370,000 liras (almost 9,000 euros) for manufacturers and importers and half that amount for consumers.
Fines for driving under the influence of alcohol will range from 25,000 to 150,000 liras (567 - 3,403 euros) and the license will be suspended for six months to its permanent cancellation.
A total of 2,713 people died in traffic accidents in Turkey in 2024, according to data from the Traffic Safety Directorate of the General Directorate of the Turkish Police, cited by the Anadolu Agency.