Page 5 - Turkinsurance Digital Magazine

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