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T.C. İÇİŞLERİ BAKANLIĞI

WEB SİTESİ GİZLİLİK VE ÇEREZ POLİTİKASI

T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı tarafından işletilen www.icisleri.gov.tr web sitesini ziyaret edenlerin kişisel verilerini 6698 sayılı Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu uyarınca işlemekte ve gizliliğini korumaktayız. Bu Web Sitesi Gizlilik ve Çerez Politikası ile ziyaretçilerin kişisel verilerinin işlenmesi, çerez politikası ve internet sitesi gizlilik ilkeleri belirlenmektedir.

Çerezler (cookies), küçük bilgileri saklayan küçük metin dosyalarıdır. Çerezler, ziyaret ettiğiniz internet siteleri tarafından, tarayıcılar aracılığıyla cihazınıza veya ağ sunucusuna depolanır. İnternet sitesi tarayıcınıza yüklendiğinde, çerezler cihazınızda saklanır. Çerezler, internet sitesinin düzgün çalışmasını, daha güvenli hale getirilmesini, daha iyi kullanıcı deneyimi sunmasını sağlar. Oturum ve yerel depolama alanları da çerezlerle aynı amaç için kullanılır. İnternet sitemizde çerez bulunmamakta, oturum ve yerel depolama alanları çalışmaktadır.

Web sitemizin ziyaretçiler tarafından en verimli şekilde faydalanılması için çerezler kullanılmaktadır. Çerezler tercih edilmemesi halinde tarayıcı ayarlarından silinebilir ya da engellenebilir. Ancak bu web sitemizin performansını olumsuz etkileyebilir. Ziyaretçi tarayıcıdan çerez ayarlarını değiştirmediği sürece bu sitede çerez kullanımını kabul ettiği varsayılır.

1.Kişisel Verilerin İşlenme Amacı

Web sitemizi ziyaret etmeniz dolayısıyla elde edilen kişisel verileriniz aşağıda sıralanan amaçlarla T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı tarafından Kanun’un 5. ve 6. maddelerine uygun olarak işlenmektedir:

  • T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı tarafından yürütülen ticari faaliyetlerin yürütülmesi için gerekli çalışmaların yapılması ve buna bağlı iş süreçlerinin gerçekleştirilmesi,
  • T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı tarafından sunulan ürün ve hizmetlerden ilgili kişileri faydalandırmak için gerekli çalışmaların yapılması ve ilgili iş süreçlerinin gerçekleştirilmesi,
  • T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı tarafından sunulan ürün ve hizmetlerin ilgili kişilerin beğeni, kullanım alışkanlıkları ve ihtiyaçlarına göre özelleştirilerek ilgili kişilere önerilmesi ve tanıtılması.
 
2.Kişisel Verilerin Aktarıldığı Taraflar ve Aktarım Amacı

Web sitemizi ziyaret etmeniz dolayısıyla elde edilen kişisel verileriniz, kişisel verilerinizin işlenme amaçları doğrultusunda, iş ortaklarımıza, tedarikçilerimize kanunen yetkili kamu kurumlarına ve özel kişilere Kanun’un 8. ve 9. maddelerinde belirtilen kişisel veri işleme şartları ve amaçları kapsamında aktarılabilmektedir.

3.Kişisel Verilerin Toplanma Yöntemi

Çerezler, ziyaret edilen internet siteleri tarafından tarayıcılar aracılığıyla cihaza veya ağ sunucusuna depolanan küçük metin dosyalarıdır. Web sitemiz ziyaret edildiğinde, kişisel verilerin saklanması için herhangi bir çerez kullanılmamaktadır.

4.Çerezleri Kullanım Amacı

Web sitemiz birinci ve üçüncü taraf çerezleri kullanır. Birinci taraf çerezleri çoğunlukla web sitesinin doğru şekilde çalışması için gereklidir, kişisel verilerinizi tutmazlar. Üçüncü taraf çerezleri, web sitemizin performansını, etkileşimini, güvenliğini, reklamları ve sonucunda daha iyi bir hizmet sunmak için kullanılır. Kullanıcı deneyimi ve web sitemizle gelecekteki etkileşimleri hızlandırmaya yardımcı olur. Bu kapsamda çerezler;

İşlevsel: Bunlar, web sitemizdeki bazı önemli olmayan işlevlere yardımcı olan çerezlerdir. Bu işlevler arasında videolar gibi içerik yerleştirme veya web sitesindeki içerikleri sosyal medya platformlarında paylaşma yer alır.

Teknik olarak web sitemizde kullanılan çerez türleri aşağıdaki tabloda gösterilmektedir.

Oturum Çerezleri

(Session Cookies)

Oturum çerezleri ziyaretçilerimizin web sitemizi ziyaretleri süresince kullanılan, tarayıcı kapatıldıktan sonra silinen geçici çerezlerdir. Amacı ziyaretiniz süresince İnternet Sitesinin düzgün bir biçimde çalışmasının teminini sağlamaktır. (ASP.NET_SessionId)

 

Web sitemizde çerez kullanılmasının başlıca amaçları aşağıda sıralanmaktadır:

  • • İnternet sitesinin işlevselliğini ve performansını arttırmak yoluyla sizlere sunulan hizmetleri geliştirmek,
5.Çerez Tercihlerini Kontrol Etme

Farklı tarayıcılar web siteleri tarafından kullanılan çerezleri engellemek ve silmek için farklı yöntemler sunar. Çerezleri engellemek / silmek için tarayıcı ayarları değiştirilmelidir. Tanımlama bilgilerinin nasıl yönetileceği ve silineceği hakkında daha fazla bilgi edinmek için www.allaboutcookies.org adresini ziyaret edilebilir. Ziyaretçi, tarayıcı ayarlarını değiştirerek çerezlere ilişkin tercihlerini kişiselleştirme imkânına sahiptir.  

6.Veri Sahiplerinin Hakları

Kanunun “ilgili kişinin haklarını düzenleyen” 11. maddesi kapsamındaki talepleri, Politika’da düzenlendiği şekilde, ayrıntısını Başvuru Formunu’nu Bakanlığımıza ileterek yapabilir. Talebin niteliğine göre en kısa sürede ve en geç otuz gün içinde başvuruları ücretsiz olarak sonuçlandırılır; ancak işlemin ayrıca bir maliyet gerektirmesi halinde Kişisel Verileri Koruma Kurulu tarafından belirlenecek tarifeye göre ücret talep edilebilir.

 

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Road Traffic Safety
Road Traffic Safety
  • STRATEGY PAPER

    Strategy Paper

    This section contains the details of the Road Traffic Safety Strategy Paper

    • Preface
    • Executive Summary
    • 1.Situation Assessment
    • 2.Our Traffic Safety Mission
    • 3.Our Traffic Safety Vision
    • 4.Guidelines
    • 5.Core Values
    • 6.Method and Procedure
    • 7.Measures to be taken and works to be done
      • Priority Areas/Speed
      • Priority Areas/Vulnerable Road Users
      • Priority Areas/Accident Blackspots
      • Intervention Areas/Management
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      • Intervention Areas/Education
      • Intervention Areas/Enforcement
      • Intervention Areas / Post Accident
    • 8.The Future of Traffic Safety
    • 9.Measurement and Evaluation
    • 10.Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators
    • 11.References
  • ACTION PLAN

    Action Plan

    This section contains the details of the Road Traffic Safety Strategy Paper

    • 1.Priority Areas
      • Overspeed
      • Vulnerable Road Users
      • Improvement of Accident Blackspots
    • 2.Fields to be Intervened
      • Traffic Safety Management
      • Infrastructure:Road and Road Environment
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      • Post-Accident Response, Care and Rehabilition
  • INSTITUTIONAL

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  • STRATEGY PAPER
    • Preface
    • Executive Summary
    • 1.Situation Assessment
    • 2.Our Traffic Safety Mission
    • 3.Our Traffic Safety Vision
    • 4.Guidelines
    • 5.Core Values
    • 6.Method and Procedure
    • 7.Measures to be taken and works to be done
      • Priority Areas/Speed
      • Priority Areas/Vulnerable Road Users
      • Priority Areas/Accident Blackspots
      • Intervention Areas/Management
      • Intervention Areas/Infrastructre
      • Intervention Areas/Vehicles
      • Intervention Areas/Education
      • Intervention Areas/Enforcement
      • Intervention Areas / Post Accident
    • 8.The Future of Traffic Safety
    • 9.Measurement and Evaluation
    • 10.Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators
    • 11.References
  • ACTION PLAN
    • 1.Priority Areas
      • Overspeed
      • Vulnerable Road Users
      • Improvement of Accident Blackspots
    • 2.Fields to be Intervened
      • Traffic Safety Management
      • Infrastructure:Road and Road Environment
      • Vehicles
      • Educations for Road Users
      • Traffic Enforcement Activities
      • Post-Accident Response, Care and Rehabilition
  • INSTITUTIONAL
    • Cooperation Board
    • Monitoring and Implementation Board
    • Expert Groups
    • Stakeholder Institutions Publications
    • Legislation
      • Presidential Circular
      • Ministry Order
      • Procedures and Principles
    • Organizational Structure
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • CURRENT
    • Development and Progress
    • News
    • Announcements
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • United Nations
      • Declarations
      • WHO
      • UNRSTF
      • GRSF
      • UNCTAD
      • GRSP
    • European Union
      • European Commission
      • ERSO
      • ETSC
    • Other Countries
    • Other International Organizations
    • Stakeholder Publications
    • Books, Articles, Researches
  • CONTACT

Intervention Areas/Education

4. TRAININGS, INFORMATION AND AWARENESS-RAISING ACTIVITIES AND CAMPAIGNS FOR ROAD USERS

One of the most important factors in the occurrence of traffic accidents is the behaviours of road users. The training the road users received and are receiving, and their previous travel experiences are decisive in the behaviours of road users. Traffic training involves not only the drivers, pedestrians, passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists, which we refer to as road users, but also children, namely our future, the teachers that train them, academicians, units responsible for traffic controls, engineers designing and constructing the road transportation infrastructures, the policy-makers, and the entire society in a nutshell. A sustainable, human-oriented traffic training to involve all sorts of road users can be defined as one of the most effective instruments to reduce traffic accidents.   In reports published by international organizations, suggestions were made on several issues such as; encouraging a more comprehensive approach rather than a limited approach on driver’s training, perceiving training and education as a life-long “educational process”, andadditionally, expanding training and education in a way  that includes all road users, preparing practical and theoretical trainings that can be adapted to all age groups, identifying the minimum standards on driver’s test and trainers, considering the vulnerable road users, studying the training alternatives on the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, and the eligibility to drive for elderly people, taking various measures such as establishing the proper infrastructure design and signalizations and ensuring sufficient passive safety devices, taking safety-improving measures for motorcyclists, and driver support systems, (intelligent) speed limiters, seatbelt reminders, as well as e-call.

 

1- DRIVER TRAININGS AS PART OF THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH 

a.  Basic Driver Training

Training is one of the important elements of the Safe System Approach in traffic safety. Educational campaigns are conducted as well as traffic safety and transportation trainings are provided in each step of the training at school as required by the approach recommended in EU countries. Nevertheless, it is observed that there are different training approaches in EU countries and countries where there are different practices rather than what is recommended.115 Training and information are accepted to be one of the fields to focus on successful and safe driving behaviour. Owning a driver’s license shows that the certificate holder gained the proper information, skills and abilities. Within the training activities, there are approaches on training, information, and education of the driver as well as raising the awareness of children and young road users, and drivers.  Training of drivers is a long and difficult process and requires attention and care  It is considered, in general, that the traffic violations originate from the fact that the driver overestimates their skills, cannot perceive risks or underestimates them, and is influenced by their environment socially/ psychologically. Drivers meet motor bicycles or motorcycles at and after the age of 15 and start to enjoy the feeling of using a vehicle for the first time.    It can be ensured that practical trainings are provided in terms of adopting proper rules as well as developing familiarity with the traffic rules, signs, and order, and that the acquired information is consolidated in formal education levels before the basic driver training.   Supporting theoretical training with practical applications and demonstrating aftermaths probable to arise in case of non-compliance to rules in a written, visual, and audial format will increase comprehension.  

Figure: Two-Stage Driver Training

Resource: Swedish National Road Administration, Young Novice Drivers, Driver Education And Training, Literature review, VTI rapport 491A, 2003, p.95-108
 

The driver training is provided in-depth in secondary education according to another system practised in some countries. Basic driving skills are acquired, the driving skills of the student are developed with theoretical and practical courses, and traffic rules are taught in formal education which is continued beyond the level of traffic culture. The students passing the written and practice tests during the training stage are awarded the “Student Driver’s License”, significant limitations are made to ensure that they improve their driving skills in the flowing traffic. The student driver passing the “Temporary Driver’s License” stage after this one drives the vehicle restrictedly and obtains the right to become a competent driver as long as they fulfil the conditions.  The following figure shows the aforementioned three-stage driver certification system: Figure: Three-Stage Driver Certification

It is necessary to approach a number of important headings in detail while examining the subject of driver training: • Young and inexperienced drivers, • Accompanied driving and recently certified drivers, • and driver courses topics will be examined in detail. Young and inexperienced drivers Learning how to drive a vehicle is a complex and long-termed learning activity. It contains such criteria as obtaining the information, improving one’s driving skills, and being able to make use of risk and ability. Thus, because inexperienced drivers play a major role in accident statistics, is not an easy process.116 A large part of the student drivers in the learning stage is young; in this respect, programmes grounding on the structure of youth should be developed. According to the research, there are three main problems and risks for young drivers:117 • Overestimating their skills and neglecting risks, • Lack of motivation to ensure a sufficient level of safety, • Lack of experience. Efforts on brain development indicate that the part of the human brain at the age of 18, particularly the part related to impulse control and information integration (thinking before acting), is sufficiently developed.118 One of the factors effective over young drivers is the social pressure generated over this age group. As the youth in this age group are still climbing the steps on completing their personality developments, they exhibit behaviours to other people except what they normally are, and behaviours that may mean taking extreme risks in traffic. It is considered that the young male drivers overestimated their existing skills, drove their vehicles at an extreme and inconvenient speed, and resorted to such unsafe behaviours as not using the seatbelt and wearing motorcycle protective head guards.119 Furthermore, it is scientifically accepted that the youth are also sensitive to the pressure around them. Experiences show that young drivers are less attentive to the following distance and drove the vehicle faster. 
116 OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre, Young drivers; the Road to Safety, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris, 2006 117 OECD/ECMT, Speed Management, ISBN 92-821-0377-3, Paris, 2006, p.138 118 N.Y.Acad. Sci., Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The Adolescent Brain, 1021, DOI; 10.1196/annals.1308.009, 2004, p.77- 85 119YOURS-Youth for Road Safety, Youth for Road Safety Action Kit, ISBN 978-90-9026297-0, Amsterdam, 2012
ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY STRATEGY PAPER (2021 - 2030) 135
120 Swedish National Road Administration, Young Novice Drivers, Driver Education And Training, Literature review, VTI rapport 491A, 2003, p.21-40 121 SWOV, Post-Licence Training For Novice Drivers, Fact sheet, Leidschendam, the Netherlands, 2009 122 TRL, How can we produce safer new drivers? A review of the effects of experience, training and limiting exposure on the collision risk of new drivers, Insight Report INS005, ISBN 978-1-84608-827-8, 2010 123 Highway Safety-100% Safety in Traffic Project, Activity; 2.3, Guideline on the Evaluation of Driver Training and Driver Certification Practices and Assessment Made for Two Pilot Provinces, Project Identity No; Europeaid/138069/IH/SER/TR, 2020, p.18
Accompanied driving and newly certified drivers  Lack of experience of young drivers is a significant problem in terms of the risks and dangers that may arise while driving. Drivers should be able to foresee the potential risks to be posed as well as prevent the risks they may pose. To solve this problem, many countries adopted such practices as driving under the supervision of parents (accompanied driving), and the system of accompanied driver training by which they will gain more experience in roads before they receive their driver’s license for driving unaccompanied. It was observed that persons gaining experience trained in this system, then fulfilling the necessary conditions got involved in a smaller number of accidents.120 In the accompanied driving period, the attitude of the senior driver accompanying to traffic rules is extremely important, and it is necessary to pay regard to the violation and accident records of the parent assigned for this period. There is also a period when the student drivers are allowed to drive unaccompanied following the period when they are accompanied, and some restrictions are imposed to protect drivers against high-risk situations in this period. Limiting the alcohol level in the blood from a lower step, limiting driving at night, and disabling presence of persons at the similar age group of the driver in this vehicle are amongst these restrictions.121 Driving courses The value the driving courses add to the society is notis not based on directly preventing accidents and losses, it is the development and legalizing of a road safety culture to ensure the mechanisms to reduce accidents and losses.122 The assignment to train a private motor vehicle driver in Turkey, certify those trained after their tests, provide training and education on traffic, allow the opening of private driving courses, and supervise these courses was given to the Ministry of National Education with the Road Traffic Law.       Driver trainings are the leading subjects necessary to establish road traffic safety completely in every sense and to lay stress on. The driver trainings are planned, and training modules are developed by the Ministry of National Education Directorate General of Private Education Institutions in Turkey. 34 hours of theoretical and 16 hours of practical driving training, namely a total of 50 hours of training is currently provided for persons to drive automobile-type vehicles in Motor Vehicle Driver Courses. In European countries, driver trainings and test models are developed according to the Directive of the European Commission No. 2006/126/EC. 
 There are practical variations between countries, although several countries are accommodating their driver training and certification systems to the Directive of the European Commission No. 2006/126/EC. Many new systems such as trial periods, temporary information and gradual information systems, theoretical tests, and danger perception tests are still in the implementation phase.   Courses theoretically provided in all driver license categories are as follows according to the relevant articles of the Ministry of National Education Regulation on Motor Vehicle Driver Courses; • Traffic and Environment - 16 hours, • First aid - 8 hours, • Vehicle technique - 6 hours, • Traffic manners - 4 hours. Besides, student drivers are provided with driving courses for at least 2 hours in an artificial training area or a simulator before allowing them to take courses in the flowing traffic. According to the driver’s license classes of the driving courses, the training is ensured to be provided;   • 12 hours for M, A1, A2, A and B1 category driver’s license, • 6 hours for A category driver’s license, • 14 hours for B category driver’s license, • 7 hours for D1 category driver’s license, • 14 hours for D category driver’s license, • 20 hours for C category driver’s license, • 6 hours for BE, C1E, CE, D1E and DE category driver’s license, • 12 hours for F category driver’s license.    The practical driving training courses are provided in the flowing traffic on intracity or intercity roads.  Three points were underlined in the report named “Guideline on the Evaluation of Driver Training and Driver Certification Practices and Assessment Made for Two Pilot Provinces” prepared within the Highway Safery-100% Safety in Traffic Project conducted as part of the National Programme of Turkey 2013-Pre-Accession Financial Aid Tool and the following matters were specified:123 • The aim of determining minimum hours for theoretical and practical trainings is to ensure that student drivers receive formal education at the desired level. However, the student drivers are recommended to receive proper trainings to ensure that they can pass the necessary examinations/tests no matter which system is used. The fact that the training should be shaped according to the learner if necessary, and to help the learner gain the driving skill, as the knowledge, skills and capacity of each learner will differ,  
ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY STRATEGY PAPER (2021 - 2030)136 • Making efforts to ensure a total consistency in the training and education quality of trainers, • With reference to the fact that the Gradual Driver Information System has measurable benefits, this method should be analysed. Accordingly, it is necessary to transform the driver trainings into a long-term gradual structure without restricting them with only short terms, include the danger perception trainings to the training content, provide the aforesaid danger perception trainings and tests according to the scoring basis, and improve their tests outside the classroom environment, at home, and office by developing specific software in gradual trainings.  Additionally, as it is seen from the country practice examples, the inclusion of the learner in a practical driving skill acquiring training for 120 hours accompanied by an expert driver before their driving test is also extremely important. Practical training models enabling the inexperienced driver to improve their skills on speedways and intracity roads, night and datime periods, during rainy days and on rainy and frosted grounds should also be developed as well. 

 

 

b. Driver Refreshment and Improvement Trainings 

According to studies performed on the best practice examples related to the driver trainings emerging lately, it is observed that the driver trainings focusing on practical driving techniques are notare not sufficient for traffic safety and that it is necessary to focus on such fields as traffic culture, driver ethical behaviour, and environmental driving as well as the vehicle driving techniques within driver trainings.

It is asserted that the training provided in the driving courses should involve elements that strengthen driving skills such as driver behaviours and psychology, driver motivations, planning, and decision making as well as teaching how to drive a vehicle.

Within this scope, concerning the fact that the driver training is also a process in international organizations along with the change in the understanding of driving course training in several developed countries, it evaluates the driver training in the “life-long learning” category by because the skills the drivers acquire should be kept alive, updated, and improved consistently.

The skills and abilities of the student driver on driving a vehicle should be aimed at being maximized before taking the driving test. A driver training focusing only on passing the driving test cannot be expected to influence in changing the traffic culture of the student driver.

It is necessary to ensure the continuity of the driving skills of persons entitled to become a driver with life-long learning processes following the driver’s license test, perform their medical examinations at certain intervals, and confirm that their physical conditions, driving skills and abilities carry on.

Refreshment trainings are ones that the driver should be successful in the test the drivers put to depending on the commitment or repeating of some traffic offences and organized at the end of the training so that the driver’s license can be valid again. There are also some EU member states providing the compulsory refreshment training for drivers passing a certain threshold traffic violation point in the violation point system applied against violations.

There are data on the fact that positive results have been achieved following the drivers being put to mandatory training once more in case they committed certain traffic violations. For instance, it is observed that drivers repeatedly overspeeding stopped overspeeding by 90% in case their driver’s license was temporarily decertified and they were subjected to specific trainings such as “Speed Awareness Training” compulsorily subsequently. Likewise, in case the violations of some traffic rules that form the main reasons of traffic accidents are identified to be committed, it is considered that the participation of the driver in courses where the importance of the rule, the subject of violation, is mandatorily notified to the driver in-depth by suspending their driver’s license.124

In some countries, the drivers are put to a test following the driver course training provided to the student drivers, the student drivers succeeding in the test are restricted to drive and ensured to gain experience for a certain period.

The fact that all drivers are subjected to training for specific periods is significant in terms of traffic safety to ensure that their driving skills are improved, and their reaction times are measured, tested while driving, and taken to danger perception tests. Following the directives and recommendations of the European Commission, the drivers stipulated to be subjected to psycho-technics examination according to their vehicle grades as of the year when they acquired their driver’s license, especially the heavy vehicle drivers by being taken to a minimum of 35-hours periodical trainings in 5 years periods.

Drivers under the status of student driver for a certain period trained again or are ensured to be tested for their experiences with a second examination without being provided with any training. This two-stage test system aims to ensure that the student drivers, who did not have the experience to practice sufficiently during the driving course, can drive unaccompanied after driving for a length of time accompanied and under real-time traffic conditions and internalized the traffic culture.

“Safe Driving Rules Trainings” provided for drivers ascertained to have involved in the greatest number of accidents as the faulty party in the recent years and awareness-raising and training activities are organized by the Directorate General of Security.

 

c.  Training of Professional Drivers
 

The research conducted infers that the percentage of drivers transporting commercial freight and passenger in being involved in a traffic accident is higher at varying rates between 30% and 50% when compared with private vehicle drivers.125 Again, according to the results of another research, it is considered that only 12% of the drivers transporting commercial freight and passenger across the world were subjected to a formal course and training within professional driving or received traffic safety training. On the other hand, it is indicated that the vehicles transporting freight and passenger for commercial purposes got involved in 25% of all traffic accidents involving death primary or secondary faulty party across the world.126

There are few efforts on how contributive the trainings provided for professional drivers have been to traffic safety and effective on the formation of traffic culture. It is recommended to provide trainings including the subjects of defensive driving techniques, professional driving ethics, effective first and emergency aid intervention, the impact of driving exhausted and restless on traffic safety, commercial freight and passenger transportation law for the commercially professional drivers after the standard driving course and of international rights, powers, and responsibilities for drivers transporting internationally. It is considered that such professional driving training involving these subjects will be at least 20% effective in reducing the accidents in which aforesaid drivers get involved.127 Although there had been a 15% increase in the amount of freight carried in the EU countries between 2003 and 2010, a 37% of decrease was achieved in the percentage of being involved in accidents involving the death of this driver group thanks to the trainings provided for professional drivers. It is believed that the directive No. 2003/59/EC put into practice on 10.09.2003 has been effective in this improvement. This directive aimed at building skills and gaining knowledge on the transportation activities requiring precision from professional drivers along with the provision of standard driver training across Europe.128

Taking account of the fact that driving exhausted and restless and making excessive and inconvenient speed are the most violated traffic rules committed by drivers transporting freight and passenger for commercial purposes.

The training to be provided for these drivers is evaluated to include the importance of driving assistance equipment in vehicles, fuel consumption of economic driving methods, its impact on the protection of the environment and the facilitative effects of technology on driving, and the rules to comply with in international transportation as well as the importance of the protection of vulnerable road users.

Furthermore, it is recommended to refresh the driving skills of professional drivers every 5 years and subject them to in-service training to convey the changes and developments in the field and include such topics as driving durations, transportation of hazardous materials, the conditions of packaging and transportation of the carried freight, use of navigation, overloading in the trainings along with the directive No. 2003/59/EC.129

The trainings and certification periods of such drivers frequently driving commercially on particularly long-distance roads and described as professional drivers are one of the issues deliberated by the European Commission. As such, the application of some rules was recommended by the European Union countries for drivers with class C and D driver’s licenses with the directive No. 2003/59/EC. Accordingly, it is stipulated that these drivers be included in a theoretical examination with a training programme to be provided or be subjected to both the theoretical and practical examination without being provided with a prior training programme.

Moreover, it is necessary for drivers using buses and truck/towing truck type of vehicles to improve their skills by taking the professional in-service training programme every 5 years. Tiredness and restlessness are known to be the main reasons for 20% of traffic accidents. In principle, it is necessary not to exceed the driving periods of 9 hours a day or 56 hours a week continuously, and to have a break of at least 45 minutes after each 4.5 hours drive. In this respect:

The classification of hazardous materials in terms of Hazardous Material Transportation, training of persons conducting transportation activities, packaging standards, product labelling, and technical conditions of vehicles are also important. Route assistance guidelines and driver assistance systems are also matters to necessarily work on for professional drivers.

Besides, driving loading over the legal limit was also forbidden according to directives. The learner drivers to conduct commercial passenger and cargo transportation are to possess the SRC Certificates being entitled to by participating in the trainings provided by SRC Training Centres licensed by the Ministry of National Education. However, it is necessary to bear in mind that the aforesaid trainings have been provided to the professional driver theoretically in their career. The repetition of trainings at certain intervals in a way to involve the implementation processes and extension of their scopes will be befitting.

2. INFORMATION AND AWARENESS-RAISING OF ROAD USERS, AND CAMPAIGNS AS PART OF THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH 

Scientific studies on traffic safety show that the human factor is amongst the ones that are effective in the occurrence of traffic accidents, which is the main field of interest of traffic safety and the human-driven errors can be grouped under three main topics such as driver, passenger, and pedestrian errors. Overspeeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving wearily, extreme self-confidence, reckless driving, and acting irresponsibly are amongst the human-driven errors in traffic accidents.

The sooner the awareness and responsibility in traffic are engrained in an individual with traffic training, the more effective the outcome will become. Children, trained about traffic at early ages, will emerge as the responsible adults, pedestrians, and drivers of the future as well as protecting themselves.

As training is defined as the process of changing human behaviours in the desired course, it has become crucial to ensure that people gain the behaviours we expect from them on traffic through training. Training activities on traffic safety are carried out at both formal and non-formal training institutions, and motor vehicle training courses.130

According to a report prepared by the European Commission, the frame of traffic safety was drawn as the “total of measures aiming at positively affecting the behavioural patterns in traffic”. The same report specified traffic safety training as one of the three components of traffic safety along with engineering and control, and determined the following topics as the traffic safety training topics:

  • Improving the knowledge and understanding of traffic rules and conditions,
  • Improving skills through training and experiences,
  • Strengthening and/or changing the attitudes related to risk awareness, personal safety, and the safety of other road users.131

The driver personality may take on an entirely different structure while driving, the excitement of the driver may increase along with the involvement of other traffic factors in the meantime. These excitement feelings may generally create a negative impact on our behaviours when we enter traffic and cause behavioural recklessness directly. The more intense the excitement is experienced the more the driver tries to cope with it. Trivial details that negatively affect the driver behaviours due to not being known by anyone and the hardship of sitting in a roofed vehicle may trigger the emergence of strong emotions.

Drivers think that they are racing one another in traffic, and as they see the situation as a matter of winning or losing, the language they use gets worse and becomes open to all kinds of internal and environmental provocation, and this condition, which we may refer to as the ultimate superego of drivers, leaves a negative impression over other drivers and causes the other drivers to get influenced just as contagious diseases.132

Education, training, information, and comprehensive road traffic and road safety policy are the essential components of a traffic safety culture. These components are a prerequisite for practices and measures such as legislation, infrastructure, traffic safety management, control, and vehicle engineering to become effective and productive.

Traffic and road safety training should be provided in a sustainable way throughout life continuing as a road user (driver, passenger, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist) by starting from pre-school. A life-long sustainable training policy will ensure that the road users can understand why the road users and road safety is this important, and some specific measures.

It will be appropriate to review the curriculum related to the topic and revise necessary parts in pre-school education, primary school, secondary school, and higher education.

Additionally, the provision of traffic trainings at all class levels in a mandatory course status with a curriculum to be developed according to all class levels in schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education will enable the awareness-raising of children, who are the learner drivers of the future.

It is deemed suitable to amend by comparing the programmes related to driving courses as well as formal and non-formal education with the programmes of developed countries. Public education centres are a good opportunity to inform the undocumented citizens showing mobility as pedestrians and passengers on traffic and road safety.

The effective communication techniques of today should be utilized to raise the awareness of citizens concerning the issue. Social media and customary applications, awarded quizzes, and information activities through the internet should be organized in addition to the previously used radio, television, banners, billboards, and conventional flyers. 

a. Formal Education (Kindergarten-University)

The traffic safety training provided with formal and non-formal training methods is significant to raise awareness on traffic regulations and support the compliance with traffic rules. In classical terms, road safety training focused on materializing the idea of ensuring that the road users learned traffic rules and comply with them. This approach cannot be considered sufficient to create traffic culture in terms of being an important complementary of infrastructure design and proper traffic regulations and protect humans as part of the Safe System Approach.

It is necessary to put forth a new approach, underlining the need to abandon the understanding that one can only get results through controls and that traffic safety training is a life-long continuing learning activity, and focusing on actualizing the behavioural changes by being supported with trainings and campaigns by centring upon the traffic errors and faulty behaviours, being of significance in terms of traffic safety and causing a great number of loss of lives each year within the frame of the classical approach.

Table: Differences Between Road Safety and Safe Behaviour in Traffic Training

 

Road Safety Training

Safe Behaviour in Traffic Training

Protective/Acting depending on the situation

Taking measure before the incident

From top to bottom

Sharing

Based on passive learning, impersonating the conditions in real life

Active learning in real social life conditions

Based on rules

Based on culture, conditions, and places

Accepting the road as the priority movement area of vehicles

Setting off from the fact that streets are social interaction and development places

Avoiding risks

Recognizing and managing risks

Preventing and reducing the percentage of accidents

Enhancing the quality of life, development of children, developing and improving street conditions, increasing the number of children in streets

Influencing the individual behaviour

Improving social responsibility

Information-based rules and strategies

Ensuring enough practical mobility and assuming responsibility

Based on school and student-centred curriculum and time-limited

Attaching importance to school and cooperation, based on multi-actor and division of responsibilities, including life as a whole

 

Resource: RoSaCe; Road Safety Cities in Europe, Towards a Street Safety Education Model, Methodological Guidelines, 2009, p.9

Humanity is almost always a part of traffic in their daily lives, sometimes as a pedestrian, sometimes as a driver. European countries carry out activities on continuing the trainings provided related to traffic throughout primary school, secondary school, high school, and university as from the pre-school period in this regard. The recommendation on the provision of Road Safety trainings to children and youth at all ages was issued under the Vienna Convention (UNECE) dated 1968. The organization of effective traffic safety programmes by the ministries of transportation of European Union member states for the road users in different target groups was determined in the Valetta Declaration published by the European Commission in 2017.

Training approach referred to as the “21st-century skills” and found to be an indispensable global norm today dictates the development and maturation of humans in light of what they can achieve in the material world under the name of “gaining soft skills” such as creativity, communication, teamwork, as well as critical thinking. This approach is a strategic cognitive frame imported to every corner of the world. Reiterating the link between training and philosophy has become even more critical in this continuity, which extends over today, when the cyber-physical systems, being the final point, the technological advancements have reached, have started to be deployed in all areas, right from ancient times to modernization, and the industrial revolution to the digital era.

The training suggestions of the 2023 Training Vision in the 21st century is a double reading as a 21st Century Training and Education Model. Gaining skills is not enough to face life. What is necessary is a maturation, development, progress, change, and more sentiment that involving and embraces al universal, local, material, spiritual, occupational, moral, and national values pertaining to humanity.133

The elements of traffic safety should be the following according to the best practice examples in traffic training;134

  • It should include theoretical and practical elements.
  • It should focus on knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
  • It should be appealing and innovative for the target group, namely, it should spark their interests and facilitate learning with an entertaining method.
  • It should ensure that information involving the 4E of traffic (Engineering, Control, Training, and Post-Accident Interventions) are spread to the training process.
  • The scope of the traffic training provided within formal education should be comprehensive.
  • Training issue should contain a wide scope as it is in other topics and be fulfilled in cooperation according to institutional responsibilities.

Traffic safety training has been accepted as a process to be sustained lifelong. Accordingly, it is recommended that all children and youth receive an effective Road Traffic Safety and Mobility Training, an effective curriculum be prepared for these trainings, a teacher responsible for traffic educations be assigned in each school, and teachers assigned be subjected to standard training.

Trainings on traffic safety are provided an hour a week in the fourth grade and ninth grade mandatorily in Turkey, otherwise, thereare not any other training module in other grades. Traffic safety is explained in the form of a drama according to the age group of children with limited opportunity at kindergartens and daycare centres in the pre-school period. It is deemed suitable that providing the trainings gradually according to the ages and education levels, although it is considered that the traffic training model currently implemented in Turkey needs improvement. It is also possible to establish Traffic Simulation Training Rooms, where practical virtual traffic trainings are provided, with the VR-supported Virtual Bicycle Tour practically strengthening the safe use of bicycles of students at primary schools.

All research and development activities carried out to calm traffic safety, infrastructure, and traffic density in the field of civil engineering and urban planning within universities should be ensured to be conducted by the traffic engineering or transportation safety departments to be established.

Orientation to relevant fields can be encouraged by creating the necessary employment areas for graduates of these departments to be utilized in fields in the transportation and cargo sector. Relevant priority efforts to be made along with the practices reflecting the available road safety status of Turkey can be made available to the use of public and private sector by preparing research reports in these departments.

The following should be amongst the three basic issues to be emphasized in the road safety training according to the results of scientific studies:135

  1. To develop the knowledge and understanding related to traffic rules and conditions,
  2. To improve skills through training and gaining experience,
  3. To strengthen and/or change the attitudes towards risk awareness, personal safety, and the safety of other road users.

Aforesaid three basic issues form the building blocks of achieving the results targeted in terms of training methods and traffic safety.

Figure: Building Blocks of Traffic Safety Training

According to the analysis of data obtained from a study conducted in European Union countries, ten basic steps of traffic safety for formal education was determined and recommended to other countries as best practice examples of countries. The research asserts that ten basic steps of traffic safety training are:136

  1. For all stakeholders of traffic safety training to understand the importance of the training,
  2. Prioritizing the traffic safety training and strengthening its importance in the eyes of the society,
  3. Strengthening the cooperation between all stakeholders,
  4. Prioritizing the traffic safety training in all kindergartens and formal education institutions, and including it in the curriculum visibly,
  5. Strengthening traffic safety training and mobility training based on each other,
  6. Accepting children and youth as vulnerable road users in traffic,
  7. Involving the parents and families in traffic safety,
  8. Subjecting all road users to traffic safety training as a long-term objective,
  9. Approaching the training with engineering measures and control,
  10. Increasing the number of investigation research, and assessment efforts.

Under the principle of ensuring educational integrity, behaviour development and perfection is a lifelong activity. “Educational Integrity” reaches out from kindergarten to the period after receiving the driver’s license and aims at ensuring the “student driver” to gain the competencies step by step thanks to the sequential programmes adapted to the biological age of the student.

Each programme or step within the integrity uses the knowledge and competence acquired with the previous steps. Some themes discussed once in any step are readdressed by being considered from a different angle or added some information later. Traffic safety as part of “Educational Integrity” today should include the following steps:137

Phase 1; Introduction to traffic training, kindergarten and primary education

  • School Traffic Safety Training; students between the ages of 11-14,
  • Traffic Safety Certificate; the examination performed to ride a moped at the age of 14,

    Phase 2; High school, the students between the ages of 14-16, preparation to student driver’s license test,

  • Driving Accompanied by an Adults; Training in driving courses, youth between the ages of 16-18,
  • Driving test (as of the age of 18); receiving the Student Driver’s License 2-years for the ones studying high school, 3-years for the ones who did not study based on the penalty point system (6 points),

    Phase 3; Permanent driver’s license based on the penalty point system (12 points),

    Phase 4; continuing the traffic safety education in higher education and universities,

    Phase 5; Provision of rehabilitation and improvement trainings for drivers performing more than one traffic violation,

    Phase 6; Performing the medical check-ups of elderly drivers, providing reminder trainings for review of rules forgotten, rehabilitating the traffic accident victims to overcome their fear of traffic and gain self-confidence.

 

b. Formal Education, Information and Awareness-Raising Efforts and Campaigns

One of the most important factors leading to the occurrence of traffic accidents is the behaviours of road users. Training the road users received or are receiving determine, as well as their previous road experiences, the behaviours of road users. Traffic trainingdoes not only include the drivers, pedestrians, passengers, bicycle and motorcycle riders, who we define as types of road users, but also our children, namely our future, the teachers that train them, academicians, units responsible for traffic safety, engineers designing and building road transportation infrastructure, policymakers, and the entire society in a nutshell. A sustainable, human-oriented traffic training to include all kinds of road users can be described as one of the most effective instruments to decrease traffic accidents.

Interesting results have been obtained from research conducted on the effectiveness of traffic safety campaigns. According to these results;138

  • Behavioural change in the desired course happens at a higher level if the percentage of road users exhibiting desired behaviours is low in the beginning.
  • Campaigns, clearly expressing what the behavioural change it targets is and why the change in the behaviour is important, ensure more behavioural change when compared with campaigns encouraging people to be more careful in general.
  • Campaigns aiming at protecting one by discussing a specific adverse condition that everyone may experience in daily life draw more attention.
  • Regarding the fact that the influence of campaigns on road users is around 7.5%, conducting campaigns alone may not be effective in ensuring sufficient behavioural change.
  • Increasing the number of training and control activities as well as campaigns have a greater impact on behavioural change.
  • If television seems to cause more changes than other media, it is believed that this situation is caused by the number of television viewers.
  • The media method is significant to ensure that the campaign reaches large masses as it is in the television example.
  • Campaigns aiming at convincing have more effect when compared to general educational campaigns.
  • The effect of campaigns based on theoretical research is higher.
  • Reaching the sentiments of the human in campaigns is more effective than the presentation of scientific information.
  • The campaigns should be conducted selectively, not be organized for random objectives, and the campaign organized should be observed to have ensured behavioural change by being conducted insistently.
  • Analysing the behavioural changes before and after the campaign is extremely important to measure the effectiveness of campaign expenditures.

The following were included amongst the features of a well-organized traffic safety campaign in the report prepared by the UN organization named the Traffic Safety Partnership:139

  • The use of a theoretical model on its basis,
  • Paying regard to the quantitative and qualitative research conducted previously on the issues discussed in the campaign,
  • The use of campaign supports such as legislation, control, and public relations, or combined promotion,
  • The media channels used to transfer the approach and message used to appeal the campaign,
  • The intensity, duration, timing, and presentation of campaigns,
  • Guidance based on a responsible base agency, a limited number of messages, research, and social support, and involving the recommendation of improving decisions for an effective campaign.

In thematic reports prepared as a result of research conducted by the European Union, the following matters are recommended for the planning and running of traffic safety campaigns:140

a. The use of evidence-based on a theoretical model to be included at the heart of the effort or the accident database,

b. Making an assessment plan to measure the effectiveness of the campaign for future improvements,

c. Identifying the problem and determining a well-selected message,

d. Identifying the target group and finding the proper way of communication to reach them (TV spots, leaflets, radio interviews, school activities, entertainment activities for youth, gas stations, school areas, etc. based on the target group),

e. Including all stakeholders from police and other control institutions being of vital importance to the campaign activities,

f. The supervisions related to the subject of campaign being of vital importance after the 2-weeks information period,

g. The overview of the best practice examples countries, preparing annual programmes having 4 or 6 messages annually and including a supervision plan,

h. Preferring the organization of an independent campaign financially supported,

i. The positive contributions of associations and foundations being road victims to the campaigns,

j. and the use of cultural elements in the campaign should be evaluated in detail.

Furthermore, the public arena can be involved by ensuring active training experiences in campaigns, the examples of which may be; the street theatre performances, shutdown of streets, using traffic cone or portable materials and changing the street design temporarily, and speed limit trials.

As the responsibility is allocated to the system designers to establish and manage a safe system as part of the Safe System Approach, it is of great importance that the training efforts include these persons as well. Planners, engineers, health care staff, executioners, and other actors should have a good grasp of the Safe System Approach. Capacity building and training efforts should target these critical stakeholders.

The study referred to as the “Media Campaigns Practice Set”, prepared by the World Health Organization, recommends the organization of campaigns in areas proving the main risk factor in terms of traffic safety to begin with. These areas may lead to: overspeeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, not using protective head guard, seatbelts, and child protection equipment. Making necessary legislative regulations, putting into practice an institutional structuring, collecting data, and informing as well as sensitising the public before launching a campaign is exceedingly important. It is recommended that these campaigns;141

• be continued up to 6-9 weeks between the data collection process before the campaign and assessment process after the campaign,

• focus on a different risk factor every time,

• include the potential negative outcomes of the determined risk factor (such as a high penalty, the number of deaths and injuries),

• have a realistic and shocking message,

• have TV broadcastings, radio spots, and outdoor boards pertinent to the use of mass media on standby,

• continue 4-6 weeks to reach all segments of society,

• have their budgets determined in advance,

• show the features of reiterating the messages including these messages repetitively.

Concerning the fact that the road traffic safety campaigns are run in ten steps, the stages and steps related to the conduct of campaign projects are explained as follows:142

Phase 1; Planning of the Project and Conduct of Research

Phase 1; Planning of the project, organizing the project team, determining the consultants and stakeholders, determining the strategy alternatives, and identifying the budget and implementation calendar,

Phase 2; Identifying the socio-economic environment where the campaign will be put into practice, and conducting the desk research related to its features,

Phase 3; Examining the elements, features, measurability, realizability of the strategy to be adopted, whether it is scheduled and its relevance (performing the SMART Analysis),

Phase 4; Researching the target group to design the strategy,

Phase 2; Production

Phase 5; Identification of messages and materials, researching when and where to give the messages,

Phase 6; Testing the main idea and concept of the campaign,

Phase 7; Performing the pre-test of the messages and materials, evaluating the messages and materials in detail,

Phase 3; Distribution

Phase 8; Making the distribution strategy and media planning, identification of airtime, and determining how to initiate the opening of the campaign,

Phase 9; Launching the campaign, putting it into practice, monitoring, and changing the strategy when necessary,

Phase 4; Assessment

Phase 10; Assessing, measuring the effects of the campaign, determining its effect on the accumulation of knowledge, awareness, and behavioural change of the target group, and reviewing to what extent the campaign reached the target group.

Information and Awareness-Raising Efforts and Campaigns Conducted by the DGS Traffic Presidency

The DGS Traffic Presidency carries out training, information activities, and campaigns as well as control activities to minimize the loss of lives resulting from traffic accidents. The priority steps to take in the field of traffic safety were taken with the Road Traffic Safety Implementation Policy Paper put into practice by the Ministry of Interior in 2017 by determining the framework of objective-driven activities to be conducted with other stakeholder institutions as well as the ones undertaken institutionally. Training cooperation activities, training and information efforts, and social campaigns were put into practice with the stakeholder institutions under the coordination of the Ministry of Interior to for this purpose.

I Am Also A Traffic Police This Holiday Red Whistle for A Bad Driver

Control effect is aimed at being created on “overspeeding, use of a seatbelt, and use of cell phone while driving” over particularly the vehicle drivers by using the effect of children to have their way over families through aforesaid campaigns launched in 2018 and continued. As such, it is aimed at raising awareness over all drivers and passengers using vehicles on Eid-Al Adha, Ramadan, mid-term, and summer holidays, when traffic density is particularly experienced utilizing red whistles, hats, and t-shirts for children travelling with their parents.

Around 1 million red whistles, 13,000 pieces of campaign hats and t-shirts with a red whistle logo, 150,000 pieces of name tags, 10,000 brochures, 100,000 leaflets, and billboards were designed within the campaign, the Turkish Radio and Television Institution (TRT) prepared 3 TV and radio spots and ensure their broadcast on national channels. Besides, 7,047,294 children and 2,820,678 road users have been provided with the information and training activity within the campaign so far.

Pedestrian-Priority in Traffic Campaign

The first right of way was given to pedestrians in pedestrian and school crossings without a traffic light along with the amendment made in the traffic law in 2018 and a campaign on pedestrian safety was launched with the “Life is Your Priority, Priority Belongs to the Pedestrian” across Turkey, concurrently in all 81 provinces, on 6 February 2019, in a way to involve driver and pedestrians to create a pedestrian-priority traffic awareness within this scope. The physical conditions of pedestrian crossings in all provinces were inspected within the campaign. Besides, awareness-raising trainings were provided for 2,111,548 drivers and pedestrians to emphasize pedestrian priority in 2019.

The year 2019 was declared as the “Pedestrian-Priority Traffic Year” by the Ministry to ensure that drivers slow down and give the right of way to pedestrians through getting their attention to a higher level by warning them before pedestrian and school crossings, the “pedestrian first” icons underlining pedestrian priority over roads was ensured to be designed on all school and pedestrian crossings without a light in the approach direction of vehicles.

Moreover, a total of 29,303 crossings out of a total of 61,444 crossings, namely 40.346 pedestrian crossings and 21,098 school crossings, were designed with the pedestrian first icon.

Pedestrian-Priority in Traffic Activities Organized with the “We are the Guards of Pedestrian Safety” motto

Pedestrian-priority in traffic activities with the “We are the Guards of Pedestrian Safety” motto were organized by the DGS Traffic Presidency concurrently across the country on 2 October 2019 under the coordination of the Ministry of Interior, to ensure that citizens and road users can maintain their lives in a more conscious and reliable traffic environment in road traffic and give pedestrian-priority in traffic prominence in public opinion.

Within this scope, awareness-raising activities were organized with the participation of the Minister of Interior and the press in areas where there are underpasses that pertain to schools identified in Ankara.

“We are All Together in this Road” Campaign

The traffic safety campaign named “We are All Together in this Road” was launched on 7 September 2018 under the coordinatorship of the Ministry of Interior to emphasize the importance of using seatbelt on ensuring traffic safety and prevent overspeeding as well as using a cell phone while driving. The campaign aimed at intensifying the awareness-raising activities and traffic controls along with the training for children and adults. The aforesaid campaign is still conducted to distribute several materials to road users in roadside control points in days and weeks when the numbers of traffic controls are increased.

“Let Your Seatbelt Influence Others to Protect Lives” Campaign

The traffic safety campaign named “Let Your Seatbelt Influence Others to Protect Lives” was put into practice between the dates 09-31 August 2019 which would cover the period of Eid-Al Adha in 2019. The voluntary video contest was organized via the official @TrafikEGM Twitter account within the campaign. Besides, 20,000 magnets were designed and distributed to the road users.

6 radio spots and 1 introduction film were prepared and screened in national/local TV and radio channels throughout the campaign to promote the campaign. Children were requested to send the videos they made to raise awareness that the drivers and passengers fastened their seatbelts throughout their travel in the contest organized via social media (Twitter) within the campaign, and 100 children who were chosen from amongst the videos sent were were rewarded 1 Scooter and head guard each.

Training Cooperation Efforts

Safe Driving Rules Training Project for Drivers with the Highest Number of Accident History

The organization of traffic trainings and raising awareness were aimed at for the drivers with the highest number of records on being involved in traffic accidents with the project launched in 2018, the information on drivers identified to have involved in the highest number of traffic accidents as the faulty party in the last 5 years were obtained from the Insurance Information and Surveillance Centre in 2018 and 2019. These drivers were ensured to be included in the short-term face-to-face training through the training module generated. Within the training programmes organized in 2018, 2,700 drivers were provided with safe driving rules trainings, while this number was 3,050 in 2019. The provision of trainings for 3,500 drivers similarly targeted continued in 2020 as well.

Life Tunnel Traffic Training Project with the “A Short Break for Life” Motto

Short-term traffic trainings have been started to be provided in closed traffic areas built in roadside control points for vehicle drivers across the country, to raise awareness in society on traffic safety, and within this scope, the provision of traffic trainings for 184,895 drivers and passenger is actively continued in 59 provinces in 2020.

Traffic Training Project for Teachers

General traffic trainings are provided to all teachers, especially those participating in traffic safety classes in primary and secondary education institutions, before the school year within vocational development in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of National Education. One-day short seminars are organized on general traffic rules and traffic knowledge required to be known within the general curriculum for teachers in the relevant trainings. Within the project, 417,671 teachers were provided with the general traffic trainings and 238,260 in the one week in 2019.

Development of Traffic Awareness in Students Protocol signed between the MNE-TRT-DGS

The preparation of educational content related to traffic safety which students need was aimed at with the “Development of Traffic Awareness in Students Protocol” signed between the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of National Education, and the Directorate General of Turkish Radio and Television Institute on 21.09.2018. For this purpose, 4 TV public service ads and 17 radio spots were prepared with the contributions of TRT and were ensured to be broadcasted in traffic training and child training channels.

Additionally, the distribution of educational-content traffic logbooks, puzzles, and colouring books prepared by the DGS Traffic Presidency was ensured.

The shooting of cartoon animation named TRAFIK TAYFA whose one season was shot by the TRT was completed as well and its broadcast with 12 episodes was started as of 3 October 2020 within the project.

Traffic Training (Traffic Detectives) for Children Project

The cooperation protocol pertains to the “Traffic Training (Traffic Detectives) for Children Project” for children between the ages of 03-17 was implemented in coordination with the

  • Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Services,
  • Ministry of Interior (DGS, GCG),
  • Ministry of National Education,
  • Directorate of Religious Affairs,
  • Police Spouses Association

and support from OPET and approximately 7,270,169 students were provided with the traffic trainings up to present. The trainings are continued in summer schools throughout the summer season and summer Quran courses affiliated to the Directorate of Religious Affairs.

3,100,000 Traffic Detectives IDs, 2 million bags, 3,800 pencils, 3,440 notebooks, and 200,000-holiday duty cards along with recently designed 400,000 educational colouring books were distributed as from the beginning of the project to inform the children in the age group between 03-08 on traffic safety.

Mobile Traffic Training Trailer Truck Coordination Project

The “Mobile Traffic Training Trailer Truck Coordination Project” was put into practice with the programme organized in Ankara on 16 September 2019 between the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of National Education to provide practical traffic training for students along with the education they receive in primary schools across Turkey.

Within the project, 2 trailer trucks allocated to the Directorate General of Security were modernized and transformed into a Mobile Traffic Training Trailer Truck and made ready for trainings. There is a setting to provide training for 12 students concurrently to be able to provide theoretical trainings within the trailer truck with 1 traffic training parkour and battery-powered traffic training vehicle prepared to be able to provide practical trainings with a portable and illuminated feature within mobile traffic training trailer trucks. Traffic trainings were provided with the Mobile Traffic Training Trailer Trucks by reaching 37,51 students in 526 schools in 53 provinces. The project aims at providing traffic trainings to approximately 6 million students studying especially in primary schools.

Collaborative Efforts Made with the Directorate General of National Lottery Administration

Informative designs are prepared and printed over the National Lottery tickets within the collaborative efforts between the Directorate General of National Lottery Administration and the DGS Traffic Presidency , to raise awareness on traffic safety.

The printing of tickets was ensured by making ticket design efforts for tickets dated 9 January and 9 May in 2019 within the project, and the necessary designing effort related to the tickets to be distributed to be used in the draw dated 9 July in 2020 was made and sent to the Directorate General of National Lottery.

Collaborative Efforts Made with the GSM Companies and Directorate General of Religious Affairs

Informative text efforts are made, and these texts are ensured to be read in mosques at assigned times, to be used in sermons preached in mosques in cooperation with the Directorate General of Religious Affairs to inform the road users due to increasing traffic density in religious holidays and raise necessary awareness.

Collaborative Efforts on Sharing the Accident Black Spots with Road Users Through Navigation Systems

The information on the up-to-date geographical segments where traffic accidents happening across the country is intense is ensured to be shared through navigation systems used to inform the road users in the period when the traffic density shows an increase in Turkey within the project. To that end, the sharing of 50 accident intensity areas identifiedeach year is ensured by the DGS Traffic Presidency with attention-increasing texts on digital maps open to share through the navigation systems.

Seatbelt Simulation Vehicle Trainings

Various activities are organized to show the importance of using seatbelt practically to ensure traffic safety across the country with 2 tumbling over and 1 head-on collision seatbelt simulation vehicles of the DGS Traffic Presidency . Within the activities organized, 7,253 citizens were provided with practical trainings on a seatbelt in 2019.

Traffic Media Awards Project

The “Traffic Media Awards Project” was put into practice in 2019 to use media known as the strongest and most effective promotion tool to announce road traffic safety culture to larger masses in public. The content of productions is reviewer and reporter and the score lists are presented to the opinion of board members at certain intervals to be presented to the members of Assessing Authority formed by the Ministry within the project.

The awarding of producers/directors of TV series, news programmes, and magazine programmes identified to have emphasized traffic safety positively, male and female actors featuring, news directors and news presenters with a ceremony to be organized, thus, raising awareness of the public was aimed at with this project.

The awards of the owners of productions coming in with the programme organized in İstanbul on 4 October 2019 were presented within the project conducted in 2019. The aforesaid project is continued in 2020 as well.

Child Traffic Training Parks

Traffic trainings are planned and organized in child traffic training parks under the coordinatorship of the Directorates of National Education and Branch Offices of Traffic Control in provinces to be able to provide the traffic trainings for preschool, elementary school, and secondary school students. There are currently 98 child traffic training parks, 72 of which are in city centres and 26 in district centres across Turkey.

Additionally, efforts on modernizing and designing of available child traffic training parks with insufficient capacity according to the Ministry of Interior in line with the technological requirements of today was started across the country. Again, efforts to put into service the modern child traffic training parks in a way to have the pre-determined standard features are made in 25 provinces without child traffic training parks within this context. The draft project prepared by the Directorate General of Security was sent to the provincial governorships and the infrastructure works were started. Applied traffic trainings were provided to 148,585 students in child traffic training parks in 2019, which was 31,127 in 2020 despite the pandemic process.

Within the efforts made by the Ministry of National Education:

The “There Are No Minor Mistakes in Traffic!” theatre performance was prepared to raise awareness of preschool and elementary school students, teach traffic rules, and create a traffic culture concerning the protocol signed between the Ministry National Education and the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce on 12 October 2019, 224 performance was presented in 56 schools and the traffic awareness was raised by reaching a total of 31,418 students directly. 2 “Traffic Man Animated Movie” were prepared and published in the “Education Information Network (EBA)” portal, to create traffic awareness in students and get them to adopt the traffic culture.

The “e-Traffic Examination Module” was generated to hold the private motor vehicle driving courses, occupational training and development courses in the transportation sector, engineering vehicle driving training courses examinations and supervise the staff assigned in these examinations on electronic media. A total of 4 “Traffic Man Animated Movies” were prepared to be used in private motor vehicle driving courses and private transportation services occupational training and development courses (SRC). The exact implementation of animated movies and examination rules contributed to the same standard performance of examinations across the country.

i. Pedestrians

According to the efforts of the World Health Organization, pedestrians constitute more than approximately 1/5 of loss of lives happening due to traffic accidents. Pedestrian deaths and injuries pose a risk to all humans regardless of being any distinctive feature such as age, gender, socioeconomic level as well as constitute a preventable traffic safety problem.143

It is important to design the infrastructure in a way to protect pedestrians in order to prevent pedestrian deaths, keep the vehicle speeds at a speed limit that will not harm pedestrians in case of a potential accident, produce the vehicle physical structure with a design that will not harm pedestrians, monitoring the road user behaviours posing risk to pedestrians as part of traffic rules, make one of the priorities of all training activities the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users, perform the intervention to save lives after accidents involving pedestrians under optimal conditions and urgently.

Ensuring a decrease in pedestrian deaths does not entirely depend on knowledge and skills, but also community support, vulnerability and risk perception, social norms and models, engineering measures, and controls. Therefore, the implementing partners and decision-makers must consider the activities for pedestrians not merely as interventions but assistance for other measures. The measures for pedestrians may include the following:

  • Awareness-raising: Traffic issues on attention, caution, politeness, considering, speed, right of way of pedestrian and driver information on traffic rules.
  • School-based training: Such programmes assist children in gaining knowledge and skills for pedestrian safety. It is necessary to teach the road rules to all students, school-based traffic training is effective in decreasing pedestrian accidents when coordinated with other interventions.
  • Support activities: The students walking between school and home poses serious exposure and risk factors for children in the dangerous traffic environment. Children walking on the side of or within the vehicle traffic are under risk for various reasons. Crossing streets poses risks. This is due to the fact that the skills of children on identifying safe and unsafe crossingsare not sufficiently developed yet. On the other hand, the students have a high potential of being distracted due to their age groups.

”Student Train” project is conducted to increase the safety of children at school ages to eliminate the aforesaid negative factors. This project ensures that all students going to the same school move collectively as pedestrians by using the same route and accompanied by their parents move collectively on the pavement in two lines on their way to and back from school and that the vehicle traffic is stopped by the responsible parent and the crossing of children is ensured in the intersection crossings.

It is possible to use the mass media campaigns on pedestrian safety to inform the public on pedestrian safety legislation, risk factors, the impact of collisions, and available solutions.

It is necessary to accept the vehicle drivers proving a risk factor to pedestrians along with pedestrians as the target group in campaigns related to pedestrian safety and organize the campaign accordingly. In this context:

Target driver behaviours:

  • To watch out for pedestrians in while turning,
  • To not drive under the influence of distracting elements,
  • To not give the right of way to pedestrians and not waiting for the crossing of pedestrians,
  • To not watch out for pedestrians walking on the roadside,
  • Driver behaviours including disrespectfulness to pedestrians,

Target pedestrian behaviours:

  • To not watch out for vehicles while crossing,
  • To not walk inattentively, entering the road section allocated to vehicles,
  • To not cross the streets from places except for the legally determined ones and the ones being safe for road users,
  • To not walk on the roadsides and dark places wearing dark-coloured clothes at night,
  • To avoid committing traffic violations.

The scientific researches show that the risky driver group being the target group in campaigns related to pedestrians is the driver group between the ages of 18-25 referred to as the young drivers, and the pedestrian group as those in the middle and older age groups (between 25-65).144 Therefore, ensuring that the campaigns run are objective-driven materializes the efforts and increases their measurability.

ii. Passengers

Use of motor vehicles, especially automobiles, shows an increase in several countries gradually. Vehicles such as heavy ones and buses at the higher segment in terms of size and weight, when compared with automobiles using the same road, grows in importance as a criterion to be considered in terms of all road users.

According to the research conducted by IRAP, the following are the leading factors for the occurrence of a traffic accident:145

  • High speed,
  • Uncontrolled turning, entrance, and actions in road junctions and intersections,
  • Road users and vehicles at different sizes and weights using the same roads without a physical barrier in-between,
  • Lack of physical barriers between vehicles moving onto opposite directions,
  • Lack of warning signs,
  • Road users lacking the accumulation of knowledge to perceive the importance of traffic safety,
  • Presence of harmful physical materials on roadsides,
  • And poor road surface structure.

Ensuring the safety of people referred to as the passengers as amongst the road users exposing to risk in traffic accidents except for the driver is one of the matters to be taken into account in traffic safety efforts. Preventing people except for the driver getting harmed in private vehicles involving in traffic accidents and ensuring the safety of passengers in vehicles transporting passengers commercially should be discussed under two different titles. The passengers in vehicles transporting passengers commercially are also identified as customers, and therefore bring additional responsibilities to the company, while the protection of passengers in private vehicles is more limited in terms of traffic safety.

The percentage of life threat of people in a vehicle increases in side-on collisions in case the speed of the vehicle colliding is higher than 40 km, and the mortality risk increases in cases when the speed of the colliding vehicles is over 70 km in head-on collisions. Hence, keeping the vehicle speed at proper limits and informing the road users in this regard is crucial in all kinds of efforts made to protect the passengers in the vehicle.

Although the “active” road users are considered to have played more role in the occurrence of traffic accidents, it is possible to reduce the outcomes of accidents through the measures the “passive” road users, especially passengers, take.

Measures such as preferring safe transportation methods and directing supply-demand balance in favour of these transportation methods, the use of seatbelts, child protection system equipment, and preferring vehicles with in-vehicle safety systems in transportation activities are also traffic safety measures to be taken by passive road users referred to as the passengers. Furthermore, it is also significant to ensure that the passengers in the vehicle have sufficient knowledge on traffic rules and accurate behaviours in terms of preventing driver failures and taking measures before the occurrence of a potential traffic accident.

 

 iii. Children

The traffic safety trainings principally happen as attracting the attention of the child on the rules to comply with in traffic by parents and the parents becoming a role model, because the behaviours, opinions, and evaluations of parents play an important role in the perspective of a child for the future.

Traffic safety training is a lifelong learning process and is complementary in the enforcement of proper infrastructure, vehicle design and laws along with the informational campaigns. The educational measures should be formed according to the stage of development of the child. The connection of children with traffic starts when they walk on the street, then, continues as bicycle and motorcycle rider, then eventually continues as a vehicle driver until the end of their lives.

It is essential to approach the training and promotion activities in a broader context then teaching them how to act in traffic. All road users have a duty to protect and keep children safe, and it is crucial to target drivers through training and promotion activities and raise the awareness of parents on the key roles they play in ensuring the safety of their children. Taking into account that especially parents are an important role model for children, it is necessary to remember that they have the opportunity to teach their children how to act safely through examples such as the use of seatbelts and behaviours in street as a pedestrian.

According to up-to-date studies on road safety training, it is considered that behavioural approaches laying emphasis on computer-based traffic simulations, role-playing and class activities, and developing practical skills through training are important for children. Campaigns focusing on improving the problem-solving and decision-making skills of children on traffic safety should be conducted.146

While organizing traffic safety campaigns for children, including the risk factors originating from the road and traffic elements within the Safe System Approach and informing children and families on these risk factors are of great importance.

Children are not physically at a similar structure with adults. Thus, taking measures on the protection of adults for children by minimizing them in certain proportionsis not enough to protect children:147

  • As children are small, they may not be able to see the dangers of traffic, especially vehicles.
  • Likewise, the other road users may not see children, either.
  • The upper part of children is heavier due to their physical build. Therefore, the balance point of children is closer to their head, and head traumas are observed more in children in case of a car crash.
  • Children may have difficulty in perceiving the speed of the oncoming vehicle as their sense of depthis not sufficiently developed.
  • As the physical structure of childrenis not that developed, they may not hear the engine sound of the vehicle approaching or understand where the sound comes.
  • Children are active, dynamic, and energetic. Hence, it may distract them quite fast and may result in unintended consequences in traffic.
  • Children may be carried away with a game and run after a ball rolling down the street.
  • The speed and distance perception proving extremely important while crossing the streetis not that developed in children.
  • As the right and the left conceptis not that developed in children, looking left and right while crossing the street may cause conceptual confusion.

When considering this and several other situations, the scope of messages to be given in campaigns for children is more clearly understood, and one should remember to target parents in campaigns for children as well.

iv. Students

The traffic safety training is extremely important in terms of raising awareness and supporting the compliance to rules on traffic regulations. Besides, this training is also important in changing the misperceptions in the field of road safety. Traffic safety trainingshould not only focus on the road users learning traffic rules and comply with them, it should cover a wide range from safe street design to the importance of traffic regulations.

Children constitute one of the most important aspects of traffic safety training. Each child is currently a road user, and will probably become a driver in the coming years. Therefore, the benefits of traffic training initiated at earlier ages may be reaped in the long run.

Training programmes should be organized in schools and the children need to be taught the Safe System Approach, so that they can travel feeling safe as pedestrians, riding a bicycle, or in motor vehicles. Students can become aware of the need to build pavements and lanes for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as drivers, and acquire awareness on the fact that the loss of lives happening as a result of traffic accidents are unacceptable and preventable thanks to this approach.

The students have a positive disposition towards school-based activities. Thus, they may be adapted to traffic safety by ensuring the monitoring of the safe school road of students through applied pedestrian and bicyclist training in the traffic environment and encouraging the use of bicycle head guard. To that end, the contribution and support of school should be taken in information and awareness-raising efforts, and parents should become a part of these information and awareness-raising activities.

The traffic safety training should be reshaped, developed, and their scope should be increased as they get older and promote. Approaches for children at later ages involve role-playing and theatre as part of discussion, development and following programmes.

Such programmes should focus on motivation, beliefs and social norms, and how to cope with pressure. Well-targeted promotion activities raising risk awareness may become complementary to school-based training amongst youth.

The development of bicycle skills lies behind the traffic training of students, namely, a student developing the skill to ride a bicycle in school environment and area closed to traffic by age becomes familiar with the traffic flow, basic rules in traffic, and behaviours of road users. Therefore, it is recommended to teach riding bicycle to all students as a lesson in gym classes at schools.

The skills acquired at these ages continue lifelong, the effort to live an active and sportive life in the following years lead to the adoption of an environmentalist, health-friendly, affordable, and traffic-free transportation mode along with the continuation of skills acquired in pupillage, children learning how to ride a bicycle in their pupillage may act more tolerantly to bicyclists being vulnerable road users when they grow up and become drivers.

Hence, it is significant to teach students at early ages how to ride a bicycle at schools, explain why the head guard is necessary, and assist them in gaining the proper behavioural models. Learning proper behaviours from teachers rather than improper ones from friends will shape the future life of students.

The need to give the responsibility of road safety of children to drivers is adopted gradually. However, no matter how children get training and education on road safety skills, they continue to be less successful in using knowledge and skills constantly when compared with adults. Drivers should be aware of children’s skills and the driver training needs to raise the awareness of inexperienced drivers against threats in places where there are children.

It will be appropriate that the traffic safety campaigns targeting drivers encourage drivers to act more safely by raising awareness related to how children act, warning the drivers on the legal liabilities for the protection of other people in the vehicle, child pedestrians, and bicyclists, and emphasizing issues such as speed selection.

Campaigns should also improve the awareness of drivers on the use of child protection systems, seatbelt in automobiles, and the importance of proper use of seatbelts. Another element to use in campaigns is the use of the influence of children on their families to improve driver behaviours.

When examining the main features the traffic safety campaigns for children must have, one can see that:148

  • The road safety training should become a part of the entire Ministry of National Education curriculum to improve the skills, risk awareness, behaviours, and knowledge of children by providing high-quality inputs starting from preschool.
  • Drivers must become aware of their responsibilities for passengers and other road users, and the limits of the behaviours of children. Effective training, education, and promotion activities should be organized to raise awareness in this regard in drivers.
  • The characteristics of this age group should be considered in the campaign preparation stage for students.
  • The traffic safety trainings provided for students and campaigns organizedshould not reflect a single perspective and needs to be prepared with a multidisciplinary (such as traffic safety, accident typologies, psychological structure, training formation) approach.
  • Parents should necessarily be involved in the training and campaigns for students and children and be informed of the child protection systems and in-vehicle protection systems.
  • Campaigns and information and awareness-raising activities become effective in the compliance of attitudes and behaviours to rules when implemented with other measures such as environmental improvements, legislative amendments, and amendments to be made in vehicles.

type of principles become prominent, and it is crucial to pay maximum attention to these principles in training, information, and awareness-raising campaigns that are run for students.

v. Elderly

Age is amongst the factors increasing the risk of getting injured between the road users, especially pedestrians, and the change happening in human characteristics and skills based on age increases the vulnerability characteristic in the context of traffic safety. Various factors are increasing the risk in elderly pedestrians:149

  • The deterioration in the visual acuity of elderly people has a negative impact on crossing.
  • The decrease in the mobility of elderly people prevents them from reacting quickly to avoid an accident in case they face traffic hazard.
  • The age-related diseases or weaknesses in the elderly aggravate the results of accidents more and the existing chronic diseases prolong the treatment process.

The characteristics of elderly people in becoming vulnerable road users as part of traffic safety increases due to such and similar reasons, and their characteristics on being the target group to be affected become prominent in terms of traffic safety campaigns.

The organization of infrastructure regulations, lightings, and traffic rules in fields such as parks, gardens, nursing homes, the environment of sanctuaries considering the special conditions of elderly people is crucial for the protection of this vulnerable road user group. Brighter lights and signs for elderly people with visual weakness, lower curb ramps and longer green lights for elderly people having trouble in walking, and details such as non-skid surface pavements for elderly people using walking sticks should be considered to ensure the safety of elderly people.

Measuring the results of information and awareness-raising campaigns for elderly people is exceedingly difficult. Notwithstanding, conducting awareness-raising campaigns enabling this road user group to subject themselves to evaluations by learning the risks their health conditions and vulnerable physical structures pose in terms of driving safety to have contributions to traffic safety. Therefore, these campaigns should be ensured to focus on:150

  • ensuring that the elderly people evaluate their present health conditions and skills by themselves before going out as road users,
  • explaining the importance of using the protective gears in their vehicles due to age-related physical fragilities,
  • following-up with the elderly people suffering from a certain disease using medication with side effects or a disability in terms of driving and informing the persons with these conditions to not go out without getting assistance,
  • informing them on the fact that old age increases the risk of traffic accidents,
  • • raising the awareness of family members to prevent people from getting used to continuing their lives with a vehicle from feeling the need to drive when they get older.

vi.  Persons with disabilities

People with physical disabilities necessitates the consideration of their vulnerability in terms of traffic safety, the road and road parameter, and vehicle safety measures to be designed according to the disability status of the person, the traffic safety training to be organized in line with the disability status of the person, and the disability status of the person to be taken into consideration in traffic controls.

The fact that persons with disabilities can continue their lives without being dependent on others, become a part of the producing labour force, and be involved in social life without being exposed to any more risk due to their disabilities is significant in terms of traffic safety.

Moreover, ensuring the participation of persons with disabilities in public health activities for a healthy life, the services and on-time interventions, and the presence of accessible barriers around the person with disability and interaction in their participation in daily life activities should be amongst the main objectives.

Engineering measures and training constitute the two aspects of ensuring that persons with disabilities can move without getting harmed in road traffic. One should underline that the engineering measures involve road and road parameters, and vehicles and training activities do persons with disabilities, the immediate surroundings they are in contact with, and the entire community.151

The training activities carried out to ensure the safety of persons with disabilities in traffic need to be supported with awareness-raising activities and campaigns for the three target groups as specified above.

It is necessary to act according to the following principles in the training and awareness-raising efforts for persons with disabilities:

  • Firstly, collecting information, performing assessments, and analyses by conducting studies to draw a frame of their behaviours in traffic and the risks they are exposed to,
  • Then preparing training materials as part of the collected information and data,
  • The training materials involving the traffic safety principles and safe system approach,
  • Raising the awareness of health care professionals, persons working at sectors being in service for persons with disabilities, the families, and the When immediate surrounding of persons with disabilities,
  • Organizing campaigns to raise a common awareness on the vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities in traffic in the entire society,
  • Determining the first campaign objective
  • as reducing speed to ensure the safety of persons with disabilities in traffic,
  • The local authorities discussing the access and transportation of persons with disabilities as one of the main topics in local public transportation plans,
  • Planning the public transportation at a close distance to schools, malls, hospitals, and other places the persons with disabilities need to facilitate the burden on persons with disabilities to meet their needs by themselves, and devising projects to inform persons with disabilities of these plans,
  • Ensuring the inclusionof important structures such as parks, transition ramps, entrance doors, ground and floor signs, streetlight equipment, and emphasizing the importance of not harming these structures,

and training, information, and awareness-raising activities should be carried out, and trainings campaigns be organized.

vii. Foreigners

When taking into consideration the migratory routes, Turkey has been in the position of a natural bridge uniting the East and the West for people throughout history as from its geographical position. Furthermore, as a result of the increasing economic power of Turkey and the political stability it has, the “transition country” position of Turkey in terms of migration movements has changed in the recent years, and it has become a “target country” at the same time. As from its geographical position and the fact that it is located over important migratory routes, Turkey has witnessed and hosted several large and small migratory processes from past to present.152

Turkey has not turned a cold shoulder to the humanitarian plights experienced in its nearby and distant geography, rather become the country doing adequately in the provision of humanitarian assistance to several helpless and displaced humans, being organized, and providing systematic services.

With reference to the presence of a strong political will and understanding of the civil society in Turkey, it is honorary to observe that there is public and private sector collaboration, the disaster and emergency aid organizations are well-prepared, well-organized, and have a large capacity.

Human security involves all dimensions of safety. Such that, the safety of human is intertwined with societal safety, employee safety, social safety, education safety, and health safety. Ensuring the traffic safety of foreigners who are involved in traffic as a road user,is not that familiar with the traffic rules and traffic signs currently in force and are in Turkey temporarily constitutes one of the important dimensions of human security.

On the other hand, ensuring the compliance of foreigners visiting Turkey, as it is becoming153 one of the important touristic destinations as a result of efforts shown in creating alternative tourism areas, especially the increasing tourism potential and health tourism each year, for various purposes such as visiting, commerce, business, and entertainment is significant in terms of both the maintenance of established order and the prevention of foreigners and other road users in Turkey getting harmed, even if they are in Turkey temporarily.

It is important to provide leaflets and brochures, and other informative materials reminding traffic rules in locations, especially border check-points, where there are foreigners and tourists frequently, and to include visual and audial materials and publications on traffic rules in touristic accommodation facilities, travel agencies, transportation vehicles, and other areas where there is an intensive number of tourists.

The importance of social media tools, whose usage is gradually increasing, has become incontrovertible in mass communication. The presentation of information on traffic regulations is also important in statements and introductions related to Turkey.

FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION, INFORMATION AND AWARENESS-RAISING EFFORTS, AND CAMPAIGNS

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: Contributing to Traffic Safety Through Formal and Non-Formal Education Information and Awareness-Raising Efforts, and Campaigns

GUIDING STRATEGIES AND SUGGESTIONS

i. General

  1. Strengthening the human-oriented road traffic safety approach,
  2. Adopting the sustainable training approach in traffic,
  3. To eliminate the insufficiencies in acquiring traffic awareness in elementary and secondary education institutions; updating the curriculum and providing traffic training in all stages of formal education gradually, from preschool to higher education,
  4. Eliminating the traffic trainer insufficiency, determining the basic qualifications of trainers and minimum training standards, providing education at a higher education and department level, and enhancing the trainer qualification,
  5. Provision of education on traffic organized in schools by traffic staff,
  6. Increasing the number and quality of child traffic training parks,
  7. Incentivizing non-governmental organizations and receiving their support for the training and information of drivers,
  8. Increasing the number of driver training areas and accommodating them to provide training with functional live scenarios,
  9. Updating the theoretical and driving training lessons to be taken pursuant to best practices in terms of quality and quantity, and providing more trainings in real-life traffic environment,
  10. Eliminating the insufficiency of driving course durations and reidentifying it according to countries with best practices,
  11. Provision of standard and sufficient-level training to public transport drivers,
  12. Provision of refreshment trainings in all driver classes, especially the public transport drivers,
  13. Providing standard and sufficient-level training to paratransit (dolmuş, taxi, minibus) drivers, and providing refreshment trainings at intervals to be specified,
  14. Subjecting the drivers ascertained to have involved in the accident due to lack of training to compulsory training amongst the ones involving in accident,
  15. Disqualifying the driver’s licenses of drivers who have involved in accidents more than the number to be determined temporarily and decertification of driver’s license of drivers who cannot pass the training programme to be determined and medical check-up
  16. Performance of traffic safety training activities by public institutions and organizations to their staff,
  17. Uninterrupted continuation of “pedestrian” trainings, for pedestrians being a road user, and developing training programmes,
  18. Organizing conferences and seminars etc. on “Pedestrian Priority” for drivers, especially for drivers of commercial vehicles,
  19. Strengthening relations with the public, NGO, private sector, and media within the formal education, information, awareness-raising campaigns of road users,
  20. Raising the level of knowledge of public on first and emergency aid,
  21. Keeping the topic up-to-date through media organs with public service ads to inform the public, hanging visual materials such as billboards, racquets, roll-ups on the entrances of government agencies and places where people can see,
  22. Making training, information, and awareness-raising campaigns for foreigners temporarily in Turkey and organizing campaigns to facilitate their adaptation to traffic rules.
 

ii. Traffic Training in Preschool Education Institutions

  1. Supporting the traffic training with equipment, exhibitions, and social-cultural activities such as games, training materials, brochures, slides, and training films to be prepared according to the levels of students at preschool education institutions, making children play traffic-content games, getting them to watch the animated movies on the development of traffic culture,
  2. Preparation of traffic training materials as those that all schools can access and implement easily, teaching traffic training supported by the parent-teacher association implemented in traffic, and learning by experience taking into account the education programme,
  3. Receiving help and assistance from local authorities, non-governmental organizations, private businesses, and the families of students studying to raise traffic awareness on traffic training in all segments of society,
  4. Specifying the authorities of institutions and organizations responsible for the construction of traffic training parks clearly in the Road Traffic Law, Highways Traffic Regulation, and the Child Traffic Training Parks Regulation, deducting statements open to interpretation, determining the jurisdiction principles and including the non-governmental organizations in the efforts,
  5. Constructing child traffic training parks in determined standards identified in the Child Traffic Training Parks Regulation, ensuring the miniaturizing of the park unless possible in available formal and private preschool education institutions over a certain square meter or the ones to be opened,
  6. Preparing the training plan to be implemented in child traffic training parks, standardizing it, training the students on how to benefit from these parks before taking them to the child traffic training parks,
  7. Constructing child traffic training parks in standards identified in the Child Traffic Training Parks Regulation to places with available land under the responsibility of local authorities,
  8. Taking measures for the inclusion of students in applied trainings within a plan in child traffic training parks according to a certain calendar for the applied traffic training of formal and private preschools, primary and secondary school students affiliated to the Ministry of National Education,
  9. Allocating resources to ensure the sustainability of the services of child traffic training parks and clarifying and coordinating which institutions are responsible, and the transportation to the parks be provided by which institutions,
  10. Making use of qualified university or higher education graduates within the bounds of possibility in the child traffic training parks,
  11. Including the traffic training field legend to the “Spatial Planning of Local Authorities Regulation”, calculating their sizes according to the population, and drawing the field to be constructed as a park to the master plan to be able to construct the child traffic training parks,
  12. Increasing the number of Mobile Traffic Training Trailer Trucks for each region and ensuring the training of more children by announcing the schools in advance,
  13. Getting into contact with the traffic law enforcement of school managements and ensuring that the traffic police or experts from non-governmental organizations explain traffic rules to students in classes,
  14. Encouraging the use of school bags, hats, or vests on which reflecting materials were used to ensure that students, especially the ones in preschool, are more visible in traffic, and conducting a campaign for the free distribution of these materials,
  15. 15. Determining proper behaviour, teaching rules, and supporting learning outcomes through dramas, dramatization, case studies, and watching relevant videos on the safe use of service vehicles used by preschool students, and vehicles used in daily life.
 

iii. Traffic Training in Basic Education Institutions

  1. The inclusion of teachers to provide traffic training in the training of trainer, enriching the content related to traffic training in EBA (Education Information Network),
  2. The implementation of short-term course programmes in which the traffic park, traffic rules, traffic safety, and traffic information trainings will be provided according to the annual calendar, generating digital domains in EBA for traffic-related contests,
  3. The publication of animations for children in different topics for the access of teachers and students in EBA within the Safe Behaviour and First Aid Training Project by the Turkish Red Crescent,
  4. The promotion of performed best practice examples in EBA for the access of teachers and students, rendering the seminars practical in terms of their interactivity and sustainability, ensuring the presentation of opinions of participating students at certain intervals,
  5. The use of standard speed bumps decelerating the speed of vehicles, push-button pedestrian crossing, signalization system, and the electronic control systems in front of schools,
  6. The design of the road surface in front of schools in a different structure or colour to increase the perception of drivers,
  7. The school principles to identify the places (blind spots, pedestrian crossing, traffic lights and signs, overpass, school service vehicle parking lot, etc.) that may pose a threat in traffic around the school and coordinate with relevant units for the solution of the problems experienced there,
  8. Considering the needs, skills, and abilities of children in the road design and construction as designed in some countries,
  9. The students to be encouraged to appeal to relevant authorities, send offers, and contribute to the solution on what the measures will be in places considered to negatively affect the traffic safety or posed a risk in the vicinity to increase their sensitivity to the environment and traffic rules,
  10. Promoting, increasing the frequency of, and performing at a continuous campaign level the school crossing practice, and promoting the system, run under the name of “Traffic Patrol” and “Student Guide”, in which the parents receive training voluntarily and provided
  11. The provision of in-service trainings to trainers to be provided with traffic safety training at schools and repetition of these trainings at certain intervals, the provision of applied trainings to be provided by traffic officers receiving traffic training,
  12. Increasing the learning outcomes and hours related to traffic safety in social studies class, including more activities on these topics in workbooks,
  13. Including respecting traffic, and complying rules to the curriculum of the education of religion and ethics class taught in schools and emphasizing the violation of rightful due in all traffic violations committed,
  14. Starting the training on using bicycle at earlier ages and teaching the use of bicycles in elementary schools, promoting the use of bicycles to minimize the negativities the traffic density cause, certifying the students being successful in bicycle riding trainings as an encouragement,
  15. Necessitating the inclusion of school service vehicle drivers in the training on traffic and first aid, traffic manners, and student behaviours before the beginning of each school year, disabling those without a participation certificate to transport student, ostracizing those involved in domestic violence, and damaging the reputation of the occupation by disturbing the social order,
  16. Supporting the traffic training with virtual games including traffic rules, things to be experienced in case of traffic violations in an electronic environment to be prepared in cooperation with relevant institutions in all levels of training, raising awareness in a different group at the same time by organizing contests at the university level for the games to be prepared,
  17. The travelling theatre teams to perform a theatre play on traffic at schools.

iv.Traffic Training in Secondary Education Institutions

  1. Receiving help and support from local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and private corporations to create traffic awareness on traffic training in all segments of society,
  2. In general, sharing the outcomes of projects on traffic, conducted and finalized with public opinion through various media organs to increase the level of awareness,
  3. Teaching students how to behave in classes and social activities, and public transport vehicles, that the seats pertain to elderly people,pregnant women and women with children and persons with disabilities are juridically allocated to these persons, otherwise to give the seat to these people every time,
  4. Providing applied training on first aid to students receiving the Hygiene and Traffic Culture class,
  5. Ensuring the inclusion of questions from Hygiene and Traffic Culture class in the Transition to Higher Education Examination,
  6. As the accidents originating from the use of cell phones mainly happen amongst youth, including the topic on the hazards and harms of using a cell phone in traffic in the Hygiene and Traffic Culture class curriculum,
  7. Making traffic clubs more effective and institutional at schools, supporting the meetings by inviting guest spokespersons to make the school traffic clubs more appealing and effective.

v. Traffic Training in Higher Education Institutions

1. Standardizing the training materials in the education programmes of universities providing education on traffic training, including first aid topic in the programmes, and making efforts to fill the gaps in these institutions providing training,

2. Incentivizing vocational schools in the field of traffic and driving training,

3. Making efforts on accepting the admittance of students with a numerical score to the Transportation and Traffic Services Programme,

4. Providing the education on transportation engineering to construction, machinery, environment, geomatics engineering, urban and regional planners at postgraduate and doctorate level, performing sectoral employment needs analysis to open a department/discipline in transportation engineering,

5. Training all preservice teachers on traffic, first aid, and traffic manner topics in higher education programmes training teachers,

6. Codifying and promoting the “Road Safety Conferences” practice organized for students as a result of collaborative efforts of university administrations and non-governmental organizations at universities,

7. The Directorate of Traffic Institute with a committee within the Department of Police Academy to;

i. provide training and education to gain expertise and management notion in fields needed in terms of traffic safety by making use of domain experts within the practice,

ii. organize a course and certificate programmes, produce information in the field of traffic safety by being engaged in scientific research, examination, and publication,

iii. provide academic consultancy services in the field of traffic safety

iv. guide implementing units by being ensured to provide symposiums, meetings, panels, conferences, and seminars in the field of traffic safety.

v. Traffic Training in Higher Education Institutions

 

vi. General Traffic Training

  1. Making efforts on receiving training related to traffic safety, changing and developing legislation with public education centres or online training methods during the renewal of driver’s licenses every 5 and 10 years under the Road Traffic Regulation,
  2. Preparing instructional programmes and public service ads on the fact the public transportation vehicles are the common property of the public, provided services to everyone, and the rules to comply with in this regard in the traffic programmes for passengers and pedestrians by press, radio, and television organizations,
  3. Putting up posters related to traffic safety, distributing brochures, preparing public service ads, and screening short movies in sports competitions,
  4. Public institutions to organize instructional seminars on the benefits of using seatbelts to their staff,
  5. Preparing public service ads and airing them at hours when there is a large group of audience to make them adopt the positive behaviours taking time to be adopted by the society (such as the awareness to fasten seatbelt in buses) and observed to have disruptions in implementation,
  6. Launching incentivizing campaigns on the use of public transportation vehicles, bicycles, and walking in short distances, and including administrators and celebrities (athletes, artists, or politicians) as role models,
  7. Organizing contests in categories such as painting, poster, motto, and caricature on traffic accidents, traffic rules, and traffic violations and instructors at universities to organize awareness-raising activities, extracurricular activities, seminars, panels, and conferences on traffic and make efforts to raise awareness, to emphasize the importance of traffic at schools as part of the Traffic Week activities,
  8. Municipalities to train their drivers to be assigned in private and public transportation vehicles according to the programme they will prepare,
  9. Introducing the barriers in the accessibility of persons with limitation of movement, especially the persons with disabilities, providing training on how to communicate with persons with different disabilities, the equipment they use, and the matters to be careful in first aid for drivers and pedestrians,
  10. Creating parking lots for persons with disabilities, preparing public service ads and brochures, and organizing campaigns to raise awareness on the persons without a disability not to park these parking lots,
  11. Making infrastructure regulations for persons with disabilities to make more productive use of bridges, intersections, pavements, overpass, etc. traffic areas, emphasizing the vitality of pedestrians using the pedestrian crossings, and the drivers to attach necessary importance to pedestrian crossing signboards,
  12. Free screening of 3D animations/images, moments of the accident, and example behaviours in traffic for people, thus, subjecting people to traffic training in daily life, placing important messages to the subconscious of people on traffic rules,
  13. The provincial office of the mufti to start traffic awareness-raising conversations in conferences, sermons, and conversations, provide information on traffic manner in sanctuaries and salat el eid sermons, explaining the violation of rightful due in all traffic violations committed,
  14. Including the topics on traffic safety in the Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Youth and Sports summer camps, and Quran courses affiliated to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, sports federations, and clubs.

vii. Private Motor Vehicle Driver Courses

  1. Enhancing quality by increasing the training and examination standards of private motor vehicle driving courses,
  2. The key point of traffic is the driving courses and as the substructure the training forms in the student driver will become habits being impossible to change in the future if it is well-structured, ensuring the participation of student drivers in the entire course programme, and continuation in the training uninterruptedly and completely,
  3. Providing the theoretical and driving trainings with absence controls and the examinations with electronic and biometric methods,
  4. Determining the pattern of education as “persuasion” and comprehension”, rather than “memorization”, explaining the student driver “why” to and “why” not to do, something, keeping the training method interactive, and ensuring the student driver “questions” what is told while being trained,
  5. Including the administrators assigned in motor vehicle driving courses and the first aid, traffic manner, traffic and environment, and driving trainers in in-service training seminars and ensuring the continuity of the trainings, so that they can fulfil their roles and responsibilities, and adapt to changes and innovations,
  6. 6. Providing in-service training to qualified driving instructors assigned in private motor vehicle courses every two years,
  7. 7. Abolishing the pre-determined duration and route practice in driving practice exams and performing driving practice exams in the flowing traffic on each day and hour of the week,
  8. 8. The local authorities to coordinate with the relevant units on determining routes and ensuring support, and taking necessary safety measures for the private motor vehicle driving course practice and examinations to be performed in flowing traffic,
  9. 9. Providing training and certifying the persons to conduct inspections in the motor vehicle driving courses at certain intervals, so that they can carry out more effective inspections and develop their availability, and quality,
  10. 10. The theoretical examinations of foreign student drivers to be performed over e-examination system and in certain languages (English, German, Arabic, and Russian), and the examinations of persons with hearing impairment with the e-examination system where there is also sign language.

 

ix. Training of Trainers

  1. Preparing and implementing new and broader programmes for the qualified instructor training to increase the knowledge level of qualified instructors assigned in driver training and the examination evaluation committee members,
  2. Ensuring the training of trainers on patience, basic driving skills, self-control, effective communication with the student driver, competence, and empathy, and ensuring that the education cadre to provide traffic information in each training level are trained in these matters,
  3. Training of staff in private motor vehicle driving courses, so that the persons with disabilities willing to get driver’s license can get driver training, including topics on the training of persons with disabilities in the content of the new programme planned to be prepared for the traffic, driving, and qualified instructor training,

x Roles of Press, Media, and Other Organizations

 
  1. Emphasizing the examples featuring-showing-repeating (such as the use of seatbelt) in practices such as proper behaviours in national and local channels, TV series, public service ads, mottos,
  2. Including questions on traffic rules and traffic manners in quiz shows broadcasted in TV channels and crosswords contents, raising awareness by organizing contests related to traffic (such as short movie, painting, caricature, theatre play, poem, and photography)
  3. Preparing and broadcasting programmes on first aid, traffic manner, traffic and environment in TV channels given broadcast suspension during this process,
  4. Preparing and broadcasting informative programmes on discrepancies and problems emerging between traffic officers, pedestrians, and drivers in radio and televisions,
  5. Preparing illuminating programmes on traffic accidents, first measures to take in traffic accidents, insurance issues, victim rights, and the procedures to follow,
  6. The RTÜK to conduct inspections for the broadcasting traffic training programmes prepared in mass media during viewable hours of the day and in all channels, to create traffic culture and ensure traffic safety,
  7. Determining the content, subject, scope, and criteria of the traffic training broadcasts in cooperation with the Directorate General of Security, Directorate General of Highways, and Directorate General of Private Education Institutions,
  8. Reviewing the Directive on Public Service Ads to increase the impact of public service ads on traffic on the audience,
  9. Preparing and broadcasting public service ads, more effective and productive use of visual, written, and audial media channels, discussing different subjects on traffic safety in social media,
  10. The media, radio, and television organizations to prepare informative programmes and public service ads on the matters to comply with in public transportation vehicles in traffic programmes for passengers and pedestrians,
  11. Preparing informative public service ads on traffic rules and frequently experienced traffic violations in the municipal billboards,
  12. Vehicle inspection stations to have billboards reminding of traffic rules present in their lobbies.

 

xi. Traffic Culture

  1. Making efforts on the announcement of activities organized within the “Road Traffic Safety Day and Week” to larger masses, to emphasize the importance of training of road users in terms of traffic order and safety and increase the contributions of various institutions and organizations to traffic training,
  2. Rewarding the behaviours ensuring the development of positive traffic culture on the basis of mutual respect in traffic, supporting such activities with the contributions from relevant professional chambers, local institutions and organizations,
  3. Ensuring the participation of parents in the practices related to traffic training at schools within the efforts on creating traffic culture.

 

 
 

STRATEGY PAPER

  • Preface
  • Executive Summary
  • 1.Situation Assessment
  • 2.Our Traffic Safety Mission
  • 3.Our Traffic Safety Vision
  • 4.Guidelines
  • 5.Core Values
  • 6.Method and Procedure
  • 7.Measures to be taken and works to be done
    • Priority Areas/Speed
    • Priority Areas/Vulnerable Road Users
    • Priority Areas/Accident Blackspots
    • Intervention Areas/Management
    • Intervention Areas/Infrastructre
    • Intervention Areas/Vehicles
    • Intervention Areas/Education
    • Intervention Areas/Enforcement
    • Intervention Areas / Post Accident
  • 8.The Future of Traffic Safety
  • 9.Measurement and Evaluation
  • 10.Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators
  • 11.References

ACTION PLAN

  • 1.Priority Areas
    • Overspeed
    • Vulnerable Road Users
    • Improvement of Accident Blackspots
  • 2.Fields to be Intervened
    • Traffic Safety Management
    • Infrastructure:Road and Road Environment
    • Vehicles
    • Educations for Road Users
    • Traffic Enforcement Activities
    • Post-Accident Response, Care and Rehabilition

INSTITUTIONAL

  • Cooperation Board
  • Monitoring and Implementation Board
  • Expert Groups
  • Stakeholder Institutions Publications
  • Legislation
    • Presidential Circular
    • Ministry Order
    • Procedures and Principles
  • Organizational Structure
  • Frequently Asked Questions

CURRENT

  • Development and Progress
  • News
  • Announcements

PUBLICATIONS

  • United Nations
    • Declarations
    • WHO
    • UNRSTF
    • GRSF
    • UNCTAD
    • GRSP
  • European Union
    • European Commission
    • ERSO
    • ETSC
  • Other Countries
  • Other International Organizations
  • Stakeholder Publications
  • Books, Articles, Researches

CONTACT

  • STRATEGY PAPER
    • Preface
    • Executive Summary
    • 1.Situation Assessment
    • 2.Our Traffic Safety Mission
    • 3.Our Traffic Safety Vision
    • 4.Guidelines
    • 5.Core Values
    • 6.Method and Procedure
    • 7.Measures to be taken and works to be done
      • Priority Areas/Speed
      • Priority Areas/Vulnerable Road Users
      • Priority Areas/Accident Blackspots
      • Intervention Areas/Management
      • Intervention Areas/Infrastructre
      • Intervention Areas/Vehicles
      • Intervention Areas/Education
      • Intervention Areas/Enforcement
      • Intervention Areas / Post Accident
    • 8.The Future of Traffic Safety
    • 9.Measurement and Evaluation
    • 10.Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators
    • 11.References
  • ACTION PLAN
    • 1.Priority Areas
      • Overspeed
      • Vulnerable Road Users
      • Improvement of Accident Blackspots
    • 2.Fields to be Intervened
      • Traffic Safety Management
      • Infrastructure:Road and Road Environment
      • Vehicles
      • Educations for Road Users
      • Traffic Enforcement Activities
      • Post-Accident Response, Care and Rehabilition
  • INSTITUTIONAL
    • Cooperation Board
    • Monitoring and Implementation Board
    • Expert Groups
    • Stakeholder Institutions Publications
    • Legislation
      • Presidential Circular
      • Ministry Order
      • Procedures and Principles
    • Organizational Structure
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • CURRENT
    • Development and Progress
    • News
    • Announcements
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • United Nations
      • Declarations
      • WHO
      • UNRSTF
      • GRSF
      • UNCTAD
      • GRSP
    • European Union
      • European Commission
      • ERSO
      • ETSC
    • Other Countries
    • Other International Organizations
    • Stakeholder Publications
    • Books, Articles, Researches
  • CONTACT

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