Bill submitted to Turkish parliament suggests more severe traffic fines

ANKARA - Demirören News Agency

Drivers on Turkey’s roads will get more severe fines in cases of misconduct, according to a bill submitted to parliament by two MPs of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

“Our aim is providing safe journeys for citizens, prevent casualties and ensure traffic safety,” said Mehmet Muş, deputy head of the AKP group in Turkish parliament.

When the proposal is approved, a driver violating a red light will be fined 235 Turkish Liras. The driver’s license will be suspended for a month if the red light violation is repeated three times in a year and if the violation reoccurs after the license is seized by authorities for two months.

The fine for using hooters and blinkers without authorization will be 1,002 liras. A driver who is fined three times for unlawfully using hooters and blinkers will be disqualified from driving for 15 days. The vehicle will take the road once the unauthorized hooters and blinkers are disassembled.

Those using a noisy exhaust, driving in the opposite direction and improper passing of other vehicles will also be fined 1,002 liras.

Using a vehicle beyond its legal end-of-life will be fined 2,018 liras, according to the bill.

Car drifting and oversteering intentionally will be fined 5,010 liras. Drifters and their vehicles will be suspended from roads for two months. The license of a driver caught using drifting techniques at least twice in five years will be revoked.

Using a mobile phone while driving will also be fined 235 liras.

A driver whose license is suspended at least twice will have to receive psychotechnics and psychiatric reports to get it back.