Despite repeated warnings regarding traffic safety, 52 people were killed and 427 others injured in traffic accidents across Turkey in the six days since the Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) holiday started.

Thousands of people hit the road late Friday for the four-day holiday that formally started on Sunday and were en route back home yesterday in one of the largest exoduses in the country. Eleven people were killed in yesterday's accidents.

More than 100 people were killed in traffic accidents in last year's holiday. The Interior Ministry had deployed more than 116,000 traffic crews across Turkey to maintain road safety during the holiday and police patrols were deployed every 10 kilometers to monitor reckless drivers and road conditions. Officials also issued public warnings to drivers to adhere to traffic safety rules, especially using seat belts and against driving while tired or sleepy.

Traffic accidents claim the lives of thousands every year in Turkey, where reckless driving and blatant violations of road safety rules are the main culprits. A decrease in the number of fatalities in traffic accidents was reported in the first four months of 2019; authorities linked this to better police inspections and awareness campaigns.