Experts state that traffic congestion is steadily increasing, especially in large cities, and consequently, accidents are also on the rise.
Speaking within the scope of Traffic and First Aid Week, Özgür Şener, Lecturer in the Occupational Health and Safety Department and Road and Traffic Safety Consultant, emphasized that instead of training on moving vehicles from point A to point B when obtaining a driver's license, people should be taught about traffic culture—namely, the responsibilities to be assumed when getting behind the wheel and the dangers in traffic. Şener pointed out that individuals' physical and mental health status should be prioritized over age-related driving restrictions. He also recommended avoiding conflict in traffic, always considering other drivers as potentially risky, and staying on the safe side.
Özgür Şener, Lecturer in the Occupational Health and Safety Department at Üsküdar University and Road and Traffic Safety Consultant, made statements regarding driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety in traffic, within the scope of Traffic Week, which is celebrated annually in the first week of May.
An accident involving a vehicle used for work is a work accident…
Reminding that all traffic accidents arising from work life are evaluated as work accidents, Lecturer Özgür Şener said, “Traffic is an indispensable part of our lives. Many commercially active companies also own vehicles. Hospitals, the logistics sector, the courier sector, the pharmaceutical sector – in fact, there is a vehicle everywhere you can imagine. Ultimately, the person uses that vehicle for work. Therefore, an accident that occurs with it, in addition to being a traffic accident, is also considered a work accident.”
Şener underlined that traffic has become a major problem in metropolitan areas, stating, “The problem of traffic congestion, in particular, stands out. This leads people to be more excited and stressed, wanting to get from point A to point B faster. As a result, aggressive drivers who are unable to move within their vehicles and the traffic terror they create emerge. On the other hand, there are different mobility solutions like motorcycles and scooters, which are two-wheeled, smaller vehicles that are actually trying to make transportation easier and are just starting to enter our lives. However, instead of easing, traffic has started to turn into a chaotic state. One of my biggest recommendations for those living in big cities is to use public transport. But by public transport, I mostly mean using rail systems if possible and participating less in the city's total traffic load.”
Education for traffic culture should start from school age…
Drawing attention to the concept of 'driving culture,' Lecturer Özgür Şener said, “Individuals can obtain a driver's license when they turn 18, but before that, there's a traffic culture acquired by observing their parents or those who drive. Unfortunately, this is not a very good culture in our country. The reason for this is that, at the time of obtaining a driver's license, the training focused on moving vehicles from point A to point B. However, people should be taught about traffic culture. Traffic culture means talking about the responsibilities to be taken when getting behind the wheel, and the dangers in traffic.”
Şener stated that if a problem arises in traffic and the other driver, even if at fault, does not accept the situation, there should be no argument. “Perhaps you're looking at the same traffic sign but seeing different things, you have different information. Therefore, for a traffic culture to be established, we need to guide people towards a traffic culture starting from the driver's license acquisition stage, and even from high school age when children slowly begin to desire to drive. The existing lessons are very limited and unfortunately do not cover general traffic culture. We are providing people with equipment that has a high potential to cause harm. Therefore, we must first explain that this job is serious enough to take on its responsibility,” he explained.
Pedestrian right-of-way should not be tested by pedestrians!
Pointing out that 6,548 people lost their lives in traffic in 2023, Lecturer Özgür Şener said, “350,000 people were also injured within a year. That's as many people as the populations of Kırıkkale, Yalova, Erzincan, and Bilecik provinces combined. We know that approximately 5,000 of these individuals became paraplegic and will not be able to continue their lives with the same quality as before.”
Evaluating the issue of giving way to pedestrians at pedestrian crossings, Şener said:
“Our government has very serious efforts regarding giving way to pedestrians at pedestrian crossings. However, some issues are still not clear in drivers' minds. Yes, give way to pedestrians, but under what circumstances? Can a pedestrian still cross at a red light just because it's a pedestrian crossing? Will we give way under all conditions? Those who visit European countries say, ‘As soon as I put my foot on the road, the vehicle immediately stopped and allowed me to cross.’ Unfortunately, pedestrians test this, but they shouldn't. Because in the event of an accident, the disadvantaged party is always the pedestrian. Since this has not yet become a culture, there is no need to test it with our lives. Drivers should also always check their mirrors when giving way to a pedestrian. They should only give way if there is no vehicle approaching from behind.”
Safe vehicle is not important, safe driver is…
Stating that there were 1 million motorcycles in Turkey in 2019, which increased to 8 million in 2024, Lecturer Özgür Şener said, “While there were 44,000 accidents in 2019, there were 123,000 accidents in 2024, and in these accidents, our young people aged between 16 and 20 were most affected.”
Şener emphasized that while motorcycles are very practical vehicles, they threaten both young people and other elements in traffic, stating, “Actually, it is not possible to talk about the safety or unsafety of a vehicle. What will we talk about? We will talk about the safe driver. That is, we will talk about drivers who are aware of the dangers, adjust their vehicle speeds within normal legal limits, can see the general traffic, and can drive predictively. Because it is always said that motorcycles are very dangerous. No, motorcycles are not dangerous. We unfortunately make them dangerous.”
Having a driver's license does not mean having the ability to drive
Regarding age-related driving restrictions, Şener stated that he does not approve of lowering the driver age limit, emphasizing that the most important factor is individuals' physical and mental health status. Şener added that age alone should not be the sole determinant, and it is important to assess a person's condition and suitability for driving through regular health checks. He also argued that individuals under 18 do not yet have sufficient sense of responsibility, and therefore the current minimum age limit should be maintained.
Underlining that merely possessing a driver's license does not indicate one's ability to drive, Şener said, “Especially companies, if they are going to provide a vehicle to an employee, should not just look at the year on the driver's license. They must evaluate that person with a driving assessment. Because driving a vehicle is important.”
“Don't try to predict what the other side will do, try to stay on the safe side”
Lecturer Özgür Şener stated that driving ability can also change depending on drivers' emotional states, conveying the following:
“Conflict or arguments cannot provide a solution in traffic. The only thing that can be changed in traffic is oneself; one's own mindset and one's own behavior. We don't know who is in the car on the other side. Perhaps a mother rushing to her child, perhaps a father taking his patient somewhere, perhaps someone with a lot of debt who was fired from their job 5 minutes ago, or someone who just got their driver's license and is on the road for the first time. We always start from ourselves when driving a vehicle. Like, ‘I wouldn't have done that. I would have behaved like this…’ But you don't know who is in the driver's seat of the vehicle. That's why you need to take all precautions yourself. Because you cannot manage them. Always stay on the cautious side. Don't try to predict what the other side will do, try to stay on the safe side, and always consider other people as if they just got their driver's license yesterday and came out into traffic, so you don't try to argue with them.”
In-car technologies should be prioritized…
Şener emphasized that children up to 11-12 years old perceive vehicles and traffic as a game because they lack a sense of danger, and therefore drivers should reduce their speeds, especially when they see children or are in areas like parks and school vicinities where children are present. “We recommend that drivers reduce their speeds to 20 or even 10 when near playgrounds or schools. Also, because children are small, they can remain in vehicles' blind spots. Attention should be paid to this issue,” he said.
Noting that cameras, sensors, tracking systems, and warning systems in vehicles make drivers' lives easier, Şener concluded his words as follows:
“These are excellent pieces of equipment for seeing the mistakes made by the driver or pedestrian. We recommend that drivers, when choosing a vehicle, prioritize having these preventive systems and technologies in their vehicles, especially those that protect pedestrians and provide information about them. These systems can be factory-installed or added to the vehicle afterward. Great importance should be given to the parts of vehicle technologies that protect pedestrians, prevent collisions, and prevent traffic accidents.”