Although there still is a high number of vehicles with a sufficient level of safety in the roads of Turkey, those with a sufficient level of safety and over a certain age are also in circulation

Vehicles with sufficient safety features do not only reduce the risk of accident but also protect thoseinvolved to the maximumin case a traffic accident occurs.

In-vehicle passive safety measures such as airbags and seatbelts are designed to protect thosewithin the vehicle from the negative impact of the destructive energy and serious traumas emerging as a result of a potential accident. Thanks to modern-day vehicle technology, active safety measures are includedin vehicles in order to prevent the occurrence of accidents. Amongst the active safety measures are: lane-keeping support, collision warning system, and autonomous emergency braking system. The Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) in motorcycles assists in preventing the occurrence of uncontrolled accidents.

Rapid development in technology affects vehicle safety systems and multiplies the consumer demand options. However, the missing point here is that the road users as consumers are not sufficiently informed on the active and passive safety measures.

Although additionalsafety measures may increase the purchase price of the vehicle, one should not– should not deduce that all vehicles athigh prices are necessarily safe. Seeking safety measures in previously used (second-hand) vehicles - as it is in new vehicles while changing owners between road users will militate in favour of road users. As it will take years until these vehicles are scrapped and given legal off-road notification, it is considered that taking some steps exclusively for the circulating vehicles by 2030 will be beneficial to achieve the existing strategic objectives.

Amongst the legislative regulations made and planned to be made to increase the number of safe vehicles are: the provision of appealing credit facilities by banks and financial institutions in case vehicles with sufficient safety features are purchased, making additional efforts on junk vehicle discounts and incentives, provision of additional tax advantages for vehicles with sufficient safety measures, making a discount for vehicles with sufficient safety measures in compulsory automobile liability insurance and comprehensive insurance, prohibiting and limiting the entrance of vehicles with insufficient safety features to specific road sections, or putting into practice such incentive or deterrent measures such as disallowing them in parking lots.

It is necessary to increase the safety levels of vehicles currently circulating in the roads of Turkey to higher levels

As stated above, our strategy under the “Safe Vehicles” heading has two aspects:

• The first aspect is for the vehicles imported or produced in Turkey, and entering traffic to have sufficient safety features,
• The second aspect is to make necessary efforts for the vehicles currently used in the roads of Turkey to achieve the necessary safety level.

It is considered that the production technologies of the vehicles in the second group may not be suitable for the new safety measures to be adopted. Nonetheless, as the adaptation of compact systems such as alcolocks is easier, it is considered that the adaptation of such systems may be prioritized.

Furthermore, including additional safety measures to vehicles such as motorcycles, heavy vehicles, and buses that are involved in an accident involving death and serious injuries by proportion will contribute to reducing the loss of lives and injuries resulting from accidents. The installment of Automatic Braking System (ABS) to motorcycles sets a typical example of this. Additionally, the matter of increasing the safety of vehicles used for business purposes (such as vehicles performing commercial freight and passenger transportation and service vehicles) should be considered undera separate heading.

An important part of vehicle safety is the control of vehicles in terms of their suitability for road traffic. The conduct of controls on vehicle safety by qualified personnel is the method appropriate to the nature of the work. It considered possible to develop the periodical technical inspections of vehicles as part of the international best practices. Besides, one can review the technical inspection method on faults or safety measures according to time, technology, and matter of priority between the factors constituting the causes of the accident. For this purpose, it is considered important in terms of preserving the safety levels of vehicles during daily use that the controls of vehicles travelling over the road on whether they have the compulsory equipment and features pertinent to traffic safety by qualified institutions at roadside control points or as en-route instant inspection;

• Before the vehicles produced abroad joined the traffic,
• Before the vehicles produced in Turkey joined the traffic,
• The vehicles in traffic periodically as they already are or by being made more vulnerable (at varying frequencies according to the personal or commercial purpose of use),
• Before registering the vehicle to its new owner while selling,
• After the repair in case, the vehicles involved in the accident are repaired,
• And before mid-seasons except for their routine periodical inspections.

The suitability of activities of sectors fulfilling services such as the maintenance, repair, and modification of vehicles to the traffic safety objectives constitute an important aspect of suitability of vehicles to the road. When taking into consideration that a lot of companies operating in these sectors are in service with the standard business license, it is considered appropriate for the suitability of the occupational health and safety of staff and the parts and materials to traffic safety objectives, and the application methods to be frequently controlled by qualified departments-.

Moreover, the use of non-standard materials, instalment and use of irreparable spare parts completing their economic life and preventing the employment of staff without a certificate of competency in vehicle repair shops without qualification in terms of sanitary and occupational health and referred to as backstreet is considered to be directly associated with the safety of vehicles repaired in these workplaces. To set a remarkable example, it is not virtually possible to identify whether the bumper of a vehicle repaired in such place is in line with the standards and how protective it is when crashing into a vulnerable road user. It is not possible to identify whether the aforesaid vehicle was used under such conditions until taken into technical inspection, the unsafe and even dangerous vehicle moves in the traffic within the period until the technical inspection. It is considered appropriate that the field controls related to vehicles as mechanical and technical matters are conducted by qualified personnel with sufficient technical competency.

Another important question in this regard is whether the vehicles entering Turkey due to reasons such as a one-day visit, touristic, and commercial from neighbouring countries that geographically have sufficient safety features. It is considered important in terms of identifying whether the vehicles travelling in Turkey pose any risk in terms of traffic safety and whether the vehicles are entering Turkey by land or transit from some countries where the verification and identification of whether they are in line with international standards is not possible or they have valid technical inspections (including matters such as technical inspection standard and periods in the relevant country) to be the subject of study.

The World Health Organization underlined some topics to strengthen the safety measures of vehicle cabins, and amongst these topics are:104

• Strengthening the in-vehicle passenger safety with impact absorber and gears,
• Designing the headrests in a way so as to prevent neck and shoulder injuries,
• Using a foldable steering column,
• Producing in-glass lamination in a way that prevents one from flying out of the vehicle in case of collision,
• Using padded instrument panels,
• Using lock systems preventing the doors from opening in case of collision,
• Using roof structure preventing being crushed,
• Using protective bars in doors in case of a side-on collision,
• Removing peripheral parts with sharp and pointed end structure and designing front and rear bumpers to minimize the impact in case of crashing into a pedestrian.

People involved in road traffic as road users are not conscious of to what extent the safety features in their vehicles are important in terms of life safety

The prerequisite for people to demand vehicles with sufficient safety standards is to convey sufficient, reliable, and simple information on vehicle safety systems to our citizens. This information should be presented pertinent to the knowledge and attention of citizens at the stage of purchasing or renting vehicles.

The basic way to increase the safety of vehicles is to make efforts that will trigger the importance of safe vehicles and the need for vehicles. To that end, it is possible to broadcast feeds that may become the source of information visited frequently according to the age, gender, and demographic characteristics of road users in websites related vehicles as well as the responsible stakeholder institutions to open websites through which citizens can freely access accurate information, and which will provide updated information.

Furthermore, commercial enterprises such as websites, selling areas, and showrooms where vehicles are sold should provide information to the vehicle owners or vehicle rental companies to their potential customers while renting vehicles.

It will be convenient to present information on fuel economy, environmental damages of vehicles as well as the safety features of vehicles to inform citizens. This will enable people to choose safer, healthier, more environmental, and more economic vehicles.

Another factor related to vehicle safety is the proper announcement of safety evaluations of vehicles to road users. There are different standards on vehicles recently put on the market and the ones still in use. It is important to present a proper evaluation system to road users as part of international best practices amongst these standards. The safety level of vehicles is generally specified with stars in such standards.

The safety of vehicles constitutes one of the main themes of occupational safety. The fact that vehicles used in freight and passenger transportation, in particular, has sufficient safety equipment is of great importance in terms of both staff working in these vehicles and road users.

It is possible to increase the safety levels of vehicles with new technologies

According to the production plans explained by automobile producers; 100 new electric vehicles will have been put on the market across the world by 2022. It is predicted that 40% of the global vehicle manufacturing will be electric and 46% will be hybrid vehicles in 2030. New actors along with the available ones have started to attain a place in the market. All these developments are an important indicator of the fact that associated, autonomous, and electric automobile market is on the transformation agenda of both the current automotive industry and that new entrepreneurs may attain their place in the market along with this destructive transformation. “Domestic Car of Turkey” initiative is an important step taken in this regard.105

The automotive industry is currently one of the strongest sectors of the industry in Turkey. According to the data from TİM (Turkish Exporters Assembly), the share of automotive sector within the total export of Turkey is 19% by itself and 23% within the export of industrial products. Therefore, “Domestic Car of Turkey” initiative will serve the transformation of available automotive key and sub-industry suppliers and the increase in their contribution to export. On the other hand, “Domestic Car of Turkey” is observed to be an initiative that will be able to gain its place in the globally linked and autonomous electric vehicle market.106

Newly developing technologies will develop the safety of our vehicles within the objective to ensure traffic safety. Although we can predict in advance that entirely autonomous and self-driving vehicles will be used in our roads, such technological moves dominating over our roads is not all that possible in the near future when the 2021-2030 Traffic Safety Strategy Paper will be in force.

It is considered that reviewing the contribution of available technology to the safety of our vehicles is more possible at this stage.

It is considered that Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are important amongst other systemic developments predicted to contribute to the vehicles in terms of safety during the implementation of the Strategy Paper. Along with the communication mechanisms expected to be put into practice as part of ITS, systems informing the drivers on instant risks at road, speed limits, and road conditions between vehicle and infrastructure will have a serious contribution to vehicle and traffic safety.

It is also important to adjust drivers to the new safety measures emerging along with the adaptation of technology to vehicle safety. It is not possible to talk about the benefit of these safety systems unless the driver is taking these systems seriously and do not does not continue using the vehicle as they are used to although the vehicle has the best system in the world. Thus, it is crucial to adapt the drivers to such technological innovations as a rear-view camera or collision warning system, and train and raise their awareness on these systems through stakeholder institutions.

Information and demand of people on these systems will increase the use of safety systems in the vehicles on our roads. Moreover, as it will not be possible to have all safety systems in private vehicles, the use of vehicles standing-out safety by companies performing passenger transportation will direct people from less safe private vehicles to public transport with a higher level of safety.

Inevitably, the need to update the standards on the safety of vehicles will arise as part of technological advancements. It is also consideredimportant that not only the standards but also the road infrastructure system should be modernized in a way to keep up with the developments depending on the developments in the vehicle technologies. Furthermore, data and communication safety, and cyber security headings will inevitably be prominent issues depending on the developments in vehicle technology.

safety test / sensors