In the first three months of this year in Türkiye, 168,533 traffic accidents occurred in January, February and March, resulting in 561 deaths and 87,695 injuries.

According to information from the General Directorate of Security under the Ministry of Interior and the Gendarmerie General Command, a total of 168,533 traffic accidents took place in the first quarter of the year across police and gendarmerie jurisdictions.

Within police-controlled areas, 157,195 traffic accidents were recorded during this period. Of these, 136,543 occurred within residential areas.

In gendarmerie-controlled areas, a total of 11,338 traffic accidents occurred, including 3,049 within residential zones.

Of the accidents recorded nationwide in the first quarter, 475 were fatal, 60,167 resulted in injuries and 107,891 caused only material damage.

A total of 561 people lost their lives, 420 in police jurisdiction areas and 141 in gendarmerie areas. The number of injured reached 87,695, with 78,313 in police areas and 9,382 in gendarmerie areas.

Driver-related errors were identified as the leading cause of traffic accidents. The most common mistakes included failing to adjust speed according to road, weather and traffic conditions, not yielding right of way at intersections and crossings, and improper lane discipline.

According to provincial data, Istanbul recorded the highest number of traffic accidents in the first quarter of the year, with 27,181 cases.

It was followed by Ankara with 25,435 accidents and Izmir in western Türkiye, with 10,653 accidents.

The province with the fewest recorded accidents was Bayburt in northeastern Türkiye with 77 cases. It was followed by Kilis in southern Türkiye with 128 and Ardahan in northeastern Türkiye with 130.