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Türkiye's parliament Justice Committee approved sweeping changes to traffic laws that will dramatically increase penalties for violations, with some fines reaching as high as ₺370,000 ($9,400) as authorities aim to reduce road fatalities by half by 2030.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the comprehensive 36-article amendment to the Highway Traffic Law during a television interview, detailing penalty increases of up to 2,000% for certain violations.
Under the new regulations, speed limit violations in residential areas will carry significantly higher penalties. Drivers exceeding speed limits by 6-10 kilometers per hour will face ₺2,000 fines, while those exceeding limits by 66 kilometers per hour or more will pay ₺30,000 and lose their licenses for 90 days.
"The World Health Organization's data shows that every one-kilometer increase in speed raises the death risk by 4 percent," Yerlikaya explained during his CNN Turk interview.
The minister revealed that speed violations account for 47% of all fatal traffic accidents in Türkiye, with an average of 10 people dying daily from speed-related crashes.
One of the most dramatic increases targets illegal beacon usage, with fines jumping from ₺6,439 to ₺138,000 for first-time offenders. Second-time violators face ₺276,000 penalties, with license suspensions of 30-60 days and vehicle impoundment.
"After the regulation, the number of vehicles with illegal beacons decreased by 80%. I claim that by the end of the year, this rate will exceed 90%," Yerlikaya stated.
The new law introduces severe consequences for leaving accident scenes. Drivers who flee accident scenes without justifiable cause face ₺46,000 fines, two-year license suspensions, and prison sentences ranging from one to three years for fatal or injury accidents.
Yerlikaya clarified the "necessity" exception: "If someone is waiting at the scene, has called 112, is devastated, psychologically collapsed, but other accident victims attack him due to their grief and he flees for his life, that's called 'necessity.' Outside of that situation, leaving the accident scene carries a ₺46,000 fine, we take the license for two years, and there's a prison sentence from one to three years."
Drivers who fail to yield to ambulances and fire trucks face ₺46,000 penalties and 30-day license suspensions. For other priority vehicles, fines reach ₺15,000, while general right-of-way violations at intersections carry ₺5,000 penalties.
Red light violations now follow a progressive penalty system:
Motorcycle riders and passengers face escalating fines for not wearing helmets: ₺2,500 for a first offense, ₺5,000 for a second, and ₺10,000 for subsequent violations.
Stunt driving, including "drift" maneuvers, now carries ₺140,000 fines, 60-day license suspensions, and vehicle impoundment. "It's very dangerous and risky, so we increased this to ₺140,000. We take the license and car for 60 days. If someone does this a second time within 5 years, they say goodbye to their license," Yerlikaya explained.
Fines for cell phone use while driving increased to ₺5,000 for first offenses, with repeat violations reaching ₺20,000 and 30-day license suspensions.
The law also targets radar detector devices, imposing ₺370,000 fines on manufacturers and importers, and ₺185,000 on users.
The law establishes a five-year lookback period for alcohol-related violations:
Drug-impaired driving results in immediate ₺150,000 fines and license cancellation.
In a modern twist, the law prohibits sharing traffic violations on social media platforms. Those who post and praise traffic rule violations face₺25,000 administrative fines.
Drivers using fake plates or altering legitimate ones face ₺140,000 fines and 30-day license suspensions for first offenses, doubling to ₺280,000 for repeat violations within one year.
Most provisions take effect two months after publication, with some exceptions. Tachograph requirements for commercial vehicles follow a phased implementation through 2030 based on vehicle age.
Yerlikaya reported that daily traffic fatalities dropped from 17.9 in 2023 to 17.4 in 2024. The government targets reducing traffic deaths by half by 2030 and eliminating them entirely by 2050 under the "Safe Traffic, Safe Türkiye" initiative.
The minister noted that while Türkiye's population grew from 66 million to 84.6 million between 2002 and 2021, and vehicle numbers increased from 9 million to 25.2 million, annual traffic deaths decreased from 9,005 to 5,362.
Editor Note: The USD/TRY exchange rate is based on data from May 29, 2025.
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