Traffic accidents killed 7,300 people in Turkey last year

ISTANBUL

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Around 7,300 people were killed in the traffic accidents in Turkey in 2016, according to statistics released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). 

Some 43.5 percent of those killed were drivers, 33.1 percent were passengers and 23.4 percent were pedestrians. 

According to TÜİK, some 185,128 of traffic accidents involving death or injury occurred in Turkey last year and 3,493 people were killed at the scene of the accident. Some 3,807 people who were injured at the site and sent to health facilities died within 30 days of the accident.

TÜİK also said a total of 303,812 people were injured in the accidents. 

Some 48.3 percent of deaths and 67.3 percent of the injuries occurred in inhabited urban areas, while 51.7 percent of deaths and 32.7 percent of injuries occurred in uninhabited rural areas.     

According to the genders of those killed, 77.9 percent were men and 22.1 percent were women. The percentage of men injured in the accidents was also higher than women, with 69.3 percent of men injured and 30.7 percent of women injured.

The number of traffic accidents in Turkey in 2016 was 1,182,496 in total. Driver faults were the primary factors behind these traffic accidents. When the 213,149 faults causing accidents involving death or injury are examined, it is observed that 89.6 percent of faults were driver faults, 8.7 percent were pedestrian faults, 0.8 percent were road faults, 0.5 percent were vehicle faults and 0.4 percent were passenger faults.

A total of 295,727 vehicles were involved in accidents resulting in death or injury, with 52.1 percent of them involving cars. Motorcycles followed cars with 15.7 percent, small trucks and vans were involved in 15.7 percent, minibuses were involved in 3.1 percent, trucks were involved in 2.9 percent, road tractors were involved in 2.4 percent, buses were involved in 2.3 percent, tractors were involved in 1.1 percent, and other vehicles were involved in 4.7 percent of the accidents. 

According to TÜİK, the accidents involving death or injury most frequently occurred in July 2016, with a 10.7 percent share. Accidents least frequently occurred in January with 5.9 percent. Regarding the distribution among the days of the week, accidents involving death or injury most frequently occurred on Fridays with 15.1 percent and least frequently on Thursdays with 13.6 percent.

Some 67.6 percent of accidents occurred during the day, with 29.9 percent occurring at night and 2.5 percent occurring at twilight, TÜİK also stated. 

Data on road traffic accidents are compiled from the administrative records of the General Directorate of Public Security (GDPS) and the General Command of Gendarmerie (GCG) and published annually by TÜİK, according to Official Statistical Program (OSP).