Traffic congestion costs Türkiye up to $60 billion annually, while Istanbul residents lose around 120 hours each year to traffic, according to a new report examining the country’s transportation problems.
The “Türkiye Traffic Situation Report,” prepared by professor Sadettin Ökten of the City Thought Center under the Esenler Municipality in Istanbul, found that the country’s traffic problems were multifaceted, ranging from driver behavior and traffic awareness to road capacity, parking, enforcement and urban planning.
The report was based on field research involving nearly 3,000 people, with focus group discussions held with traffic police officers, drivers, driving school representatives, municipal police officers and motorcycle couriers in four cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir and Malatya.
According to the report, 55.5% of participants identified driver inattention, deliberate traffic violations and a lack of traffic awareness as the most important traffic problems in their areas.
Meanwhile, 46.3% pointed to insufficient road capacity and parking problems.
Transportation expert Fatih Gündoğan, who contributed to the study, said similar traffic problems were experienced across different parts of Türkiye, although major cities faced more intense congestion.
Gündoğan said Istanbul residents lost approximately 120 hours per person each year due to traffic, describing the figure as significant and noting its substantial economic implications.
He also highlighted the rapid growth in the number of vehicles in Türkiye. The number of vehicles had increased from around 20 million a decade ago to 33 million, he said.
Türkiye had approximately 200 vehicles per 1,000 people, compared with around 400 in Europe and 700 in the U.S., Gündoğan said.
He warned that reaching the European average would mean Istanbul’s vehicle numbers could double, potentially putting additional pressure on the city’s already congested roads.
Gündoğan identified driver behavior as the most important factor behind traffic accidents, while also emphasizing the role of infrastructure.
He said improper parking near intersections and poorly marked lanes could influence driver behavior and called for clearer road infrastructure and signage.
Marmara University Faculty of Technology faculty member, associate professor Abdullah Demir, said the study identified driver inattention and a lack of traffic awareness, as well as insufficient road capacity and parking problems, among the most prominent issues.
Demir estimated that traffic congestion cost Türkiye between $50 billion and $60 billion annually, while the cost for Istanbul alone was around $10 billion.
He said time lost in traffic and fuel consumption were the most visible costs, while less visible costs included health problems, stress, reduced productivity, environmental deterioration and air pollution.
Disruptions to supply chains and delays in logistics also added to the economic burden, Demir said.
He added that approximately 6,400 people died in traffic accidents in Türkiye in 2024, an average of 17.5 people per day, while the number fell to 6,035 in 2025.
Improved vehicle safety systems, faster emergency services and more varied enforcement measures may have contributed to the decline in fatalities, Demir said, although the number of accidents had not decreased.
He also noted that congestion was not limited to peak hours. Unnecessary braking, improper lane changes and failure to maintain a safe following distance could also create traffic waves, he said.
Gündoğan emphasized that traffic education begins at the primary school level but said families also played a major role in shaping children's behavior.
Parents should set an example by demonstrating patience and responsibility in traffic, giving way to pedestrians, avoiding illegal parking, speeding and wearing seat belts, he said.
“I believe what a child sees from their father is more influential than what they hear from their teacher. That is why families have a major role to play,” Gündoğan said.
He also called for penalties to be sufficiently deterrent and said drivers needed to be certain that traffic violations would result in punishment.
Gündoğan further called for a higher-level body to coordinate the work of institutions involved in traffic safety.
The report also examined the conditions faced by motorcycle couriers, who experts said were exposed to additional risks because of delivery pressure, insecure working conditions and inadequate parking and lane arrangements.
Demir said couriers sometimes felt pressured to take risks in order to increase their earnings through bonuses.
“We believe motorcycle couriers face intense pressure to earn money,” he said, citing one courier who told researchers, “We are sacrificing our lives.”
Demir said the statement reflected the level of pressure faced by couriers, adding that some could speed or violate traffic rules to earn additional money. “They are even sacrificing their lives,” he said.
