Traffic law proposal passed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey: Speed limit regulation

The Bill on Amendments to the Highway Traffic Law has been accepted and enacted by the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. 326 deputies cast their votes. There were 242 votes in favor and 84 against.

With the law, it will be mandatory for sound, music, image, and communication devices in vehicles to be used in accordance with the conditions specified in the regulation and in a manner that does not disturb the public peace. Those who do not comply with the rule will be subject to an administrative fine of 3 thousand liras. Those who keep and use sound, music, image, and communication devices in vehicles that do not comply with the specified conditions, as well as image devices within the driver's field of view and use, will be fined 21 thousand liras, and these vehicles will be prohibited from traffic for 30 days.

5 thousand lira administrative fine for drivers using communication devices while driving

Drivers who use mobile phones, car phones, and similar communication devices while driving will be fined 5 thousand liras.

The nature and quantity of protective systems, as well as which vehicles they must be kept in, from which date, and under what conditions they must be used, will be specified in the regulation. It will be mandatory for passengers traveling in vehicles whose types and classes are specified in the regulation to be warned to fasten their seat belts before the vehicle moves and during the journey.

With the law, an administrative fine of 2 thousand 500 liras will be applied to drivers and passengers who use seat belts improperly. If the seat belt rule is violated 4 times within one year, driver's licenses will be revoked for 30 days.

In the event of traffic accidents involving property damage, death, or injury, excluding cases of agreement, drivers who leave the scene without the permission of the police and without necessity, or who do not comply with the condition of not changing the situation at the scene of the accident—including evidence and traces that would be useful in determining responsibility, provided that the accident does not affect traffic, life, and property safety if there is death, injury, or property damage—will be fined 46 thousand liras. In traffic accidents involving death or injury, drivers who leave the scene without the permission of the police and without necessity will be sentenced to imprisonment from 1 year to 3 years.

The driver's licenses of those who leave the scene will be revoked for 2 years. In order for the driver's licenses revoked in this manner to be returned, it will be required that all administrative fines imposed have been collected.

A highway usage fee will be collected by the institution or organization responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the road from vehicles whose entry into traffic is subject to special permission due to the transport of special loads.

The highway usage fee will be determined and announced by the General Directorate of Highways for each calendar year, taking into account the tonnage per axle, the number of axles, the transport distance, and the cost corresponding to the reduction of the project life of the highway.

40 thousand lira fine for those driving without a driver's license

Those who drive motor vehicles without a driver's license will be fined 40 thousand liras, and those who drive motor vehicles despite their driver's license being temporarily or provisionally revoked by courts, public prosecutor's offices, or authorities specified in the law will be fined 200 thousand liras.

Unless there is a sign to the contrary on highways, regulations will be made regarding lane-following rules for vehicles such as trucks and tractors other than motorcycles, cars, light trucks, panel vans, minibuses, and buses. In this context, drivers will be required to travel in the same direction while using vehicles other than motorcycles, cars, light trucks, panel vans, minibuses, and buses.

Vehicles will not be driven on pedestrian paths, and vehicles other than bicycles and electric scooters will not be driven on bicycle paths and bicycle lanes. Drivers will not be able to drive vehicles other than those permitted on roads closed to vehicle traffic or reserved for specific vehicles.

90 thousand lira fine each for those who stop on the highway with arbitrary actions

Those who change lanes consecutively in a way that disrupts or endangers traffic, those who drive their vehicles in the opposite direction on highways or divided roads outside residential areas, and those who stop their vehicles on the highway in a way that partially or completely blocks the flow of traffic with arbitrary actions that make it difficult or dangerous for other vehicles to pass while driving in a convoy or individually will be fined 90 thousand liras each.

180 thousand lira administrative fine for drivers who get out of the vehicle for the purpose of assault

Drivers who persistently follow another vehicle for the purpose of assault in traffic or who get out of the vehicle for this purpose will be subject to an administrative fine of 180 thousand liras, their driver's licenses will be revoked for 60 days, and their vehicles may be prohibited from traffic for 30 days.

The driver's licenses of drivers whose licenses have been revoked for not complying with the rules regarding the flow of traffic on highways will be canceled if their driver's license is revoked for the second time within 5 years from the date of the last violation.

Those who do not comply with the warnings and signs of traffic police or other authorized persons in special uniforms or carrying signs tasked with regulating and inspecting traffic will be fined 3 thousand liras. Drivers who do not comply with traffic lights will be fined 5 thousand liras.

Those who do not comply with the matters specified or indicated by traffic signs, devices, and road markings, as well as other rules, prohibitions, obligations, or liabilities related to traffic safety and order specified in the regulation, will be subject to an administrative fine of one thousand liras.

Drivers who violate the red light will be fined 10 thousand liras if the violation is committed for the second time within 1 year from the date of the last violation, 15 thousand liras for the third time, 20 thousand liras for the fourth time, 30 thousand liras for the fifth time, and 80 thousand liras for the sixth time.

200 thousand lira administrative fine for those who flee by not obeying the "stop" signal

Those who flee by not obeying the "stop" signal despite the warnings and signs of the police during stationary or mobile inspections will be subject to an administrative fine of 200 thousand liras, their driver's licenses will be revoked for 60 days, and the vehicle will be prohibited from traffic for 60 days.

Drivers found to have taken drugs or stimulants will be fined 150 thousand liras and their driver's license will be canceled. Technical devices or test kits will be used by law enforcement to determine whether drugs or stimulants have been used or the amount of alcohol in the blood.

As a result of the determination, the administrative fine imposed on drivers found to be driving under the influence of alcohol above 0.50 promille will be increased from 700 liras to 25 thousand liras. The administrative fine applied to those whose driver's licenses are revoked due to driving under the influence of alcohol will be increased from 877 liras to 50 thousand liras if the violation occurs for the second time. These drivers will be fined 150 thousand liras if the violation is repeated three or more times.

Drivers will be fined 1000 liras if the specified daily continuous driving time is exceeded by up to one hour, 3 thousand liras if this time is exceeded by more than one hour, 3 thousand liras if the total daily driving time is exceeded by up to one hour, 5 thousand liras if it is exceeded by one to 3 hours, and 10 thousand liras if it is exceeded by 3 hours or more.

Speed limit regulation

As a result of detection made by technical devices measuring speed or various technical methods, those who exceed the speed limits determined in the regulation by 6-10 km/h within residential areas will be fined 2 thousand liras, 4 thousand liras for 11-15 km/h, 6 thousand liras for 16-20 km/h, 8 thousand liras for 21-25 km/h, 12 thousand liras for 26-35 km/h, 15 thousand liras for 36-45 km/h, 20 thousand liras for 46-55 km/h, 25 thousand liras for 56-65 km/h, and 30 thousand liras for 66 km/h and more. Outside residential areas, those who exceed the limit by 11-15 km/h will be fined 2 thousand liras, 4 thousand liras for 16-20 km/h, 6 thousand liras for 21-25 km/h, 8 thousand liras for 26-30 km/h, 12 thousand liras for 31-40 km/h, 15 thousand liras for 41-50 km/h, 20 thousand liras for 51-60 km/h, 25 thousand liras for 61-70 km/h, and 30 thousand liras for 71 km/h and more.

Driver's licenses of those who violate the speed limit within residential areas by 46-55 km/h will be revoked for 30 days each time, 60 days for those who violate it by 56-65 km/h, and 90 days for those who violate it by more than 66 km/h. Outside residential areas, driver's licenses of those who exceed the speed limit by 51-60 km/h will be revoked for 30 days each time, 60 days for those who exceed it by 61-70 km/h, and 90 days for those who exceed it by more than 71 km/h.