TÜİK releases 2025 traffic accident report: Number of deaths decreased, number of injured increased

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has published its "Road Traffic Accident Statistics" report for 2025. The released data reveals that in 2025, a year when the number of motor vehicles in Turkey reached 33.6 million with a 7.4 percent increase, accident activity on the roads also reached a serious level. Of the total 1 million 549 thousand 574 traffic accidents that occurred across the country last year, 1 million 261 thousand 253 resulted in property damage, while 288 thousand 321 accidents resulted in death or injury. An overwhelming 86.5 percent of fatal and injury-causing accidents occurred within residential area boundaries.

AN AVERAGE OF 16 PEOPLE DIED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS EVERY DAY

The distribution of loss of life on the roads over time has reached striking levels. Of the total 6,035 lives lost, 2,541 occurred at the scene, while 3,494 of the injured who were transferred to hospitals lost their struggle for life within 30 days following the accident. According to daily average data, 789.9 fatal and injury-causing accidents occurred on Turkey's roads every day. As a result of these accidents, an average of 16.5 people lost their lives and 1,106.7 people were injured daily. At the provincial level, the highest loss of life was recorded in Ankara with 290 deaths, while the highest number of injured was seen in Istanbul with 47,717 people. The fewest deaths and injuries occurred in Ardahan.

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS AND MOTORCYCLISTS ARE AT THE GREATEST RISK

Statistics have once again highlighted the risk faced in traffic by "vulnerable road users," consisting of pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists, and electric scooter riders. Last year, 44.4 percent of those who lost their lives on the roads, or 2,680 people, belonged to this vulnerable group. Loss of life in motorcycle accidents was particularly prominent; throughout the year, 1,334 motorcycle drivers and 191 motorcycle passengers lost their lives in accidents. In automobiles, 1,002 drivers and 1,063 passengers lost their lives. While drivers accounted for 50.7 percent of those who lost their lives, it was noted that 77.8 percent of the victims were male.

ACCIDENTS OCCUR MOST FREQUENTLY IN SUMMER MONTHS AND ON FRIDAYS

When the distribution of fatal and injury-causing accidents by time is examined, it was observed that drivers had more accidents during daylight hours. 65.0 percent of accidents occurred during the day, 33.1 percent at night, and 1.9 percent during twilight hours. In the annual period, August, when summer vacation and travel intensity increase, was the period with the highest number of accidents at 10.4 percent, while the fewest accidents occurred in February at 5.7 percent. On a weekly basis, Friday stood out as the day with the highest density of accidents, while Sunday was determined to be the quietest day of the week.