75 people killed in traffic accidents during Eid holiday

ANKARA

Traffic collisions claimed the lives of 75 people across the country during the nine-day Eid holiday that commenced on April 6, the Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.

With roads witnessing heavy congestion amid the festivities and tourism rush of the holiday that concluded on April 14, authorities recorded a staggering 6,530 traffic accidents, Yerlikaya said during a press briefing in the capital Ankara on April 16.

Thirty-seven percent of the accidents were attributed to excessive speed, while others resulted from failure to yield at intersections and crossings, disregarding lane discipline and changing rules, rear-end collisions and violating turning regulations, according to traffic authorities' records.

Throughout the holiday, Yerlikaya shared the daily toll of fatal accidents, urging drivers to adhere to regulations consistently.

Yerlikaya also announced the annulment of penalties that stirred nationwide debate after the police fined drivers who warned other ones about radar checks in the northern province of Düzce.

Some drivers warned other vehicles on the opposite direction, using the flash-to-pass method to point out radar vehicles during inspections.

"In Düzce, 14 drivers were fined. Following examination, we have instructed for the cancellation of all these penalties."

"We are not turning eye blind to excessive speeding. Instead, in our efforts to safeguard you from its adverse consequences, we are unequivocally intensifying our radar controls,” he said.