Türkiye plans major overhaul of traffic fines

ANKARA

The Turkish Grand National Assembly is set to discuss a new bill this week that significantly increases traffic fines and strengthens enforcement measures, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Yerlikaya outlined the government’s plan to reduce road deaths, citing a 10-year goal of zero fatalities. In recent years, daily traffic deaths from speeding averaged 10, while thousands required hospital care for injuries.

Under the proposed legislation, fines for traffic violations could jump from 2,270 Turkish Liras to 200,000 liras, while repeated offenses may lead to temporary or permanent license suspensions.

Speeding, red-light violations, reckless driving and mobile phone use will incur stricter penalties. Specific measures include 30- to 90-day license suspensions for exceeding speed limits in residential areas, 60-day suspensions for obstructing emergency vehicles and up to two-year license revocation for illegal street racing. School and hospital zones will have stricter enforcement.

The law also targets risky behavior among motorcyclists, wedding convoys and aggressive drivers, introducing mandatory psychotechnical evaluations for repeat offenders.

Driving under the influence of drugs will result in an immediate license cancellation.

Tampering with license plates, excessive noise from vehicles and failure to yield to priority vehicles such as ambulances will also carry heavy fines and temporary traffic bans.

Yerlikaya emphasized that stricter, deterrent rules are essential for improving road safety, noting that early emergency access can increase survival chances by 40 percent.