Main cause of traffic accidents not alcohol, as Turkish PM Erdoğan suggests

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Daily News Photo, Emrah Gürel

Contrary to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent remarks about the link between alcohol consumption and traffic accidents as a reason to restrict alcohol sale in the country, statistics show that only 1.43 percent of accidents were linked to “tipsy” drivers.

The official Road Traffic Accident Statistics 2011 prepared by the General Directorate of Public Security and Turkish Statistical Institute, show that only 3,525 out of 171 768 accidents involving death and personal injury were caused by alcohol consumption determined by police as higher than promille limits.

The main reason for the accidents was revealed as “drivers’ faults,” accounting for 88.37 percent.

Prime Minister Erdoğan on June 2 said “Alcohol’s harms to the human body are scientifically apparent. The main reason for traffic accidents is alcohol. What is our duty then? Allowing people to kill and stab themselves [...] it is my duty to intervene, we are applying the Constitution’s governing laws.”

Parliament adopted a highly controversial alcohol bill in May proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), tightening restrictions on the sale and advertising of alcoholic beverages.