Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced a new era in Türkiye’s traffic management, emphasizing a shift toward deterrence-based enforcement.
“Supervision has its limits. Deterrence is the cornerstone, and penalties are our strategic tool. People want rules,” Yerlikaya told reporters, discussing the new Traffic Law proposal, expected to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Stressing the need for a new traffic culture, Yerlikaya said the upcoming legal framework would place deterrence at its center. Citing Nobel laureate sociologist and economist Gary Becker’s seminal work “Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach,” he noted that the system aims to make rule violations “inescapable.”
“Becker argued that deterrence equals high-quality supervision,” Yerlikaya explained. “We’ve increased inspections by 50 percent, reaching the limit of what oversight alone can achieve. Deterrence, however, is the key pillar of a developed and deeply rooted traffic culture. An effective and fair penalty system increases respect for the law, improves driver habits, raises social awareness and most importantly, saves lives.”
Highlighting that many accidents stem from uncontrolled anger, Yerlikaya urged drivers to remain calm. “Don’t act tough on the road. If someone says something, just ignore it.” He added that the public supports stricter regulation.
“With this reform, we expect last year’s 32.5 million recorded violations to drop to around 7 to 8 million,” Yerlikaya said, refuting claims that the goal was to boost revenue.
Türkiye’s 2024 traffic toll included 6,351 deaths and 385,117 injuries from accidents. Of 109,107 speed-related accidents, 13.6 million Turkish Liras in fines were issued ($324,000), and half of all crashes involved motorcycles.
Yerlikaya also announced two upcoming digital tools. One app will allow drivers to see radar points along their routes, while another — called Gereği Yapıldı (Action Taken) — will address public safety concerns in traffic directly.
