It is unclear whether it is because of the duration of the holiday or other factors, but the Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that fewer traffic accidents occurred during this year’s Ramadan Bayram (Eid al-Fitr) in Turkey.
Traffic fatalities also decreased by 58%, the ministry said in a statement released on the third day of the holiday. The ministry said the number of accidents decreased by 37%, while fatal accidents decreased by 52% compared to the Ramadan Bayram holidays where people were given a five-day leave in the past decade. The duration of holidays is occasionally extended and this year, it was expected to be nine days, but the government stuck to three. The three-day holiday officially started on Monday, but some have preferred to extend it by adding Thursday and Friday and taking days off with annual leave.
Throughout the past five days, 1,707 traffic accidents were reported nationwide and 26 people died.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu warned holidaymakers about return journeys. “Be careful and comply with rules. Fasten your seat belts,” he said.
Traffic safety is a vital issue for Turkey, which lost 394 people between January and March, according to the latest statistics on traffic accident fatalities. Another 53,605 people were injured in the accidents.
Bayrams, including Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha), are occasions for an exodus from big cities in the west to resort towns in the south and the hometowns of thousands in inner parts of Anatolia. Throughout the holidays, the government steps up safety measures on the country’s road network, deploying more traffic patrols and renewing road infrastructure.
Still, every year, traffic accidents claim dozens of lives throughout bayrams. Last year, for instance, at least 46 people were killed and 341 others were injured during Qurban Bayram holiday trips across the country.
Compliance with traffic safety rules is still low in the country despite repeated traffic safety campaigns. Reckless driving, almost invariably, is the top cause of accidents every year, ahead of other factors like drunk driving. The government prioritizes awareness in its campaign against “traffic monsters” as educating drivers is key to addressing reckless driving.
