Millions of people have already hit the road and will soon start return trips, on the occasion of Ramadan Bayram, also known as Eid al-Fitr. The exodus, from big cities in the west to resort towns in the south and the hometowns of thousands in inner parts of Anatolia, is a source of concern in terms of traffic safety.
The holiday, which is officially three days, is often prolonged throughout the week. This year, it started after working hours on Friday with people hitting the road in their own vehicles or filling the buses and airplanes. Most will return this weekend, skipping Thursday and Friday. Throughout this period, authorities have deployed more staff and stepped up safety measures on the country’s road network.
Every year, traffic accidents claim dozens of lives throughout the religious holidays, including Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha. Last year, for instance, at least 46 people were killed and 341 others were injured during Qurban Bayram holiday trips across the country. The number may be low compared to earlier years but the country seeks to further reduce the toll, which contributes to the already high number of yearly traffic accident casualties.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA) ahead of the holiday that they deployed some 5,400 personnel across the country to ensure safe travel of citizens and intervene in "emergency situations," referring to pileups or other large-scale incidents that further slow down traffic.
In every holiday involving the travels of millions, the ministry, as well as traffic police crews, are dispatched on main roads to ensure safety. In the past two years, traffic was relatively low, due to restrictions imposed to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and people preferring to stay home out of fear of infection. This year, however, the notorious traffic and associated accidents will likely be back as the country lifted almost all restrictions regarding the pandemic.
Karaismailoğlu said all maintenance work was done on traffic signs and other safety features while reparation work on roads would be minimized to ensure a smooth traffic flow. He said they also extended traffic light duration in busy sections to prevent accidents and facilitate a better flow of traffic. The minister, however, warned that drivers should check the weather before hitting the road as weather conditions may affect roads.
The weather will be cool and, at times, rainy across Turkey, according to the forecast. Ilker Koç, a meteorologist, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Friday that precipitation would be sporadic while temperatures may drop by 6 to 10 Celsius degrees (10.8 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places. Rainfall should particularly dominate the first day of Ramadan Bayram on Monday. The precipitation would continue into Saturday, though mostly in the northern and eastern parts of the country, as well as central Anatolia.
Barring the weather’s impact, traffic is expected to flow better, as authorities announced that all major toll roads would be free of charge up throughout the holiday and until May 5. Between Monday and Wednesday night, mass transit services in Istanbul, the capital Ankara and the western province of Izmir, will be free of charge.
In Istanbul, the governorate announced that more than 30,000 officers, from police to gendarmerie, would be on duty both for general safety and for smooth traffic. Although a large number of people leave Istanbul, the most populated city of Turkey, every holiday, a considerable number of residents prefer staying there, finding an opportunity to enjoy the city while it is less "populated." In the capital Ankara, more than 22,451 personnel from different branches of the security forces will be on duty for a safe holiday.
Traffic safety is a vital issue for Turkey, which lost 394 people between January and March according to latest statistics on traffic accident fatalities. Another 53,605 people were injured in the accidents.
Compliance with traffic safety rules is still low in the country despite repeated traffic safety campaigns. Reckless driving, almost invariably, is the top cause of accidents every year, ahead of other factors like drunk driving. The government prioritizes awareness in its campaign against the "traffic monster" as educating drivers is key to addressing reckless driving. Though it boosted the presence of law enforcement and modernized its roads, the country still has a high fatality rate from traffic accidents.