The AK Party and the Ministry of Interior are preparing to take a significant step to improve road safety. According to a new draft regulation, if the same driver commits multiple traffic violations, these will be considered as “chain offenses” and the penalties will be applied cumulatively and with increased severity.
The aim of the draft—currently being worked on by AK Party legal experts and the Ministry of Interior—is to make traffic fines more deterrent. This is intended to prevent accidents caused by violations such as speeding, running red lights, improper lane changes, and illegal overtaking.
According to a report on media, a meeting was held at the Presidential Complex with the participation of AK Party group leadership and representatives from relevant ministries to discuss increasing penalties for traffic violations. In a presentation made by the Ministry of Interior, it was stated that in 2024, there were 6,450 accidents resulting in death or injury. Of these, 45% were due to speeding. Additionally, 1,300 accidents were caused by improper lane changes, with the rest resulting from illegal turns, unsafe overtaking, and red light violations.
“Violation of emergency vehicle lights dropped by 75% after fine increase”
AK Party sources highlighted that traffic fines in Turkey remain very low: “For example, when we increased the penalty for unauthorized use of emergency lights (blue/red flashing lights), violations dropped by 75%. Why? Because the fines became a deterrent. The penalty for unauthorized use of such lights now ranges from 7,500 to 150,000 Turkish lira, along with license suspension. We’ve seen cases where someone comes from Europe with no prior traffic offenses but ends up accumulating many fines here. That’s because our fines are low, so they take the risk.”
Cumulative Penalties on the Horizon
Another proposed regulation in the draft concerns increasing penalties for “chain traffic offenses.” AK Party officials gave the example: “A driver runs a red light, then makes a lane violation, and later cuts off another vehicle. Since this is a sequence of offenses, it will be treated as an aggravating factor and penalties will be increased accordingly.”
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