Bus accidents in Turkey are relentless. Lastly, in the traffic accident that occurred in Polatlı district of Ankara when a passenger bus got stuck in the foot of a bridge, 9 people lost their lives according to the first reports, and the fact that disasters could not be prevented despite all the warnings made for years is causing reactions. According to the latest statistics announced by the Ministry of Interior, there has been a 45 percent increase in intercity bus deaths from 2022 to 2023, and the biggest reason for this picture is the failure to comply with the speed limits on highways and the drivers’ sleep problems. It is no secret that some vehicles belonging to three or four well-known companies that carry out intercity passenger transportation are traveling at almost 140-150 km/h on the routes of Istanbul-Kocaeli, Istanbul-Izmir, Istanbul-Ankara, Istanbul-Ayvalık, Istanbul-Bursa, Istanbul-Çanakkale, Istanbul-Bodrum and the opposite routes.
THEY MADE A SPEED TRACK
While the speed limit for passenger buses is set at 90 km on divided roads, 80 km on intercity two-way highways and 100 km on motorways, the speed limit for trucks and lorries is 90 km on motorways and 80 km on divided roads and two-way highways. However, it is known that heavy tonnage vehicles often exceed these limits in the Istanbul-Kocaeli, Istanbul-Ankara, Istanbul-Izmir and in the opposite direction. Speed limits are more strictly observed in the Istanbul-Antalya and vice versa direction, where there are many residential area crossings and EDS systems.
YOU CANNOT SEE IT IN EUROPE
Drawing attention to the tachograph games in passenger buses and heavy-tonnage vehicles after the accidents like the massacre, Automobile-Highway Expert, Senior Engineer Alpay Lök said, “In Turkey, the ‘limiting equipment’ installed in buses as of the factory and set to 100 km/h speed are being cancelled, tachographs are being soaped. When a two-axle, 18-ton intercity bus travels at a speed of 141 km/h, its kinetic energy is equal to the energy of two buses travelling at 100 km/h, meaning it causes damage as if two buses hit it instead of one. “There is no bus or truck in any country in Europe that travels at 120-130 km/h,” he said.
UNDER THE STAIRS SHOULD BE PREVENTED
Adding that speed limiter systems should be set to 90 km/h on trucks and 100 km/h on buses, Lök said, “On highways, EDS-supported speed, lane and following distance inspections should also be carried out. In addition, vehicle services should be taken under inspection, registration and responsibility, illegal use should be prevented, and the cancellation of Electronic Driving Support Systems and environmental systems should also be prevented.”
TACHOGRAPH GAMES
According to tachograph expert electronics engineer Bilal Yeşil, manipulations made on digital tachographs, It is possible to make a vehicle going at 100 km/h appear to be going at 90 km/h. It is also claimed that there are people who put magnets on the sensor, change the parameters of the tachograph, disconnect the sensor with a remote control circuit breaker, change the software and connect a second secret sensor.
ROADS ARE A BLOOD BATH
On the other hand, the fatal accidents on the highways are also reflected in official figures. In 2023, 6,548 people lost their lives across the country. The death rate increased by 25 percent compared to the previous year. According to the latest statistics announced by the Ministry of Interior TüIn 2023, a total of 6,548 people became victims of traffic monsters across Turkey, 2,984 of whom died at the scene and 3,564 within a month. The number of deaths in accidents on Turkish highways in 2022 was 5,229.
(email protected)
