In a significant stride toward improving road safety, Türkiye has witnessed a remarkable reduction in dangerous driving violations after implementing stricter traffic laws and enhancing enforcement measures earlier this year. The amendments to the Highway Traffic Law, effective from February 27, introduced harsher penalties for various offenses that pose major risks to road safety.
Official statistics highlight a dramatic improvement in the rate of dangerous lane-weaving violations, where drivers switch lanes at high speeds through traffic. From February 27 to May 31 last year, authorities recorded 47,380 such offenses, a figure that plummeted to just 3,306 over the same period this year — marking a 93% decrease. The substantial drop is largely credited to the intensified penalties and heightened road inspections conducted nationwide.
The crackdown has yielded positive results across several other traffic violation categories. Offenses related to tachographs, which involve monitoring commercial vehicle driving and rest-time records, saw an 80.2% decline. Speeding violations diminished by 55.1%, while failures to comply with police stop orders decreased by 52.4%. Furthermore, helmet-related violations fell by 36.4%, and incidents of driving without a valid license dropped by 33.7%.
Authorities have also reported declines in wrong-way driving, traffic sign violations, red-light offenses, drunk driving, and seat belt violations. These reforms are part of the government’s broader efforts to enhance road safety, reduce accidents, and protect lives and property across Türkiye.