Driver's license is not enough, traffic culture education is essential!

Experts state that traffic density is gradually increasing, especially in big cities, and as a result, accidents are also increasing.

Making statements within the scope of Traffic and First Aid Week, Occupational Health and Safety Department Instructor, Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener emphasized that instead of training on moving vehicles from point A to point B when obtaining a driver's license, people should be taught about traffic culture, meaning the responsibilities to be taken when behind the wheel, and the dangers in traffic. Şener, pointing out that individuals' physical and mental health status should be taken as a basis rather than age-related driving restrictions, recommended avoiding conflict in traffic, always considering other drivers as risky, and staying on the safe side.

 

Üsküdar University Occupational Health and Safety Department Instructor Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener made statements about driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety in traffic within the scope of Traffic Week, celebrated every year in the first week of May.

An accident with a vehicle used for work is a work accident…

Reminding that all traffic accidents originating from work life are considered work accidents, InstructorÖzgür Şener said, “Traffic is an inseparable part of our lives. Many companies engaged in commercial activities also have vehicles. Hospitals, the logistics sector, the courier sector, the pharmaceutical sector, in fact, there is a vehicle everywhere you can think of. Ultimately, that vehicle is also used by a person for work. Therefore, an accident that occurs along with this, besides being a traffic accident, is also considered a work accident.”

Underlining that traffic is becoming a very big problem in big cities, Şener said, “Especially the problem of traffic congestion stands out. This causes people to be more agitated, more stressed, and to want to get from point A to point B more quickly. As a result, aggressive drivers who are unable to move in their vehicles and the traffic terror they create emerge. On the other hand, there are different mobility solutions such as motorcycles, scooters, which are two-wheeled, smaller vehicles that try to make transportation easier and are newly entering our lives, but instead of traffic becoming a little more relaxed, it has started to turn into a chaotic state. One of my biggest recommendations for those living in big cities is to use public transportation. However, by public transportation, I mean they should use rail systems if possible and participate less in the total traffic load of the city,” he said.

To form a traffic culture, education should start from school age…

Drawing attention to the concept of ‘driving culture,’ InstructorÖzgür Şener said, “Individuals can obtain a driver's license when they turn 18, but before that, there is a traffic culture acquired by observing their parents or those who drive. Unfortunately, this is not a very good culture in our country. The reason for this is actually that at the time of obtaining a driver's license, training was given on moving vehicles from point A to point B. Whereas people should be taught about traffic culture. Traffic culture, meaning the responsibilities to be taken when behind the wheel, and the dangers in traffic should be mentioned.”

Stating that if a problem occurs in traffic and the other driver does not accept their fault, one should not argue, Şener said, “Perhaps you are looking at the same traffic sign and seeing different things, you have different information. Therefore, for the formation of traffic culture, we need to go back to the stage of obtaining a driver's license, even to the high school years when children slowly become eager to drive, and guide people towards a traffic culture from there. The existing courses are very limited and unfortunately do not cover general traffic culture. We are providing people with equipment that has a high potential to harm others. Therefore, we must first explain that this job is serious enough to take responsibility for it.”

Pedestrian crossing priority should not be tested by pedestrians!

Pointing out that 6,548 people lost their lives in traffic in 2023, InstructorÖzgür Şener said, “350,000 people were injured in one year. That is, as many people as the population of Kırıkkale, Yalova, Erzincan, Bilecik provinces. We know that approximately 5,000 of these people are paraplegics and will not be able to live their lives at the same quality as before.”

Evaluating the issue of yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks, Şener said the following:

“Our state has very serious efforts regarding yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks. However, some issues are still not clear in the minds of drivers. Yes, yield to the pedestrian, but under what circumstances? Can a pedestrian still cross at a red light just because there is a crosswalk? Will we yield under all conditions? Those who go to European countries say, ‘The moment I put my foot on the road, the vehicle immediately stopped and allowed me to pass.’ Pedestrians are testing this, unfortunately, but they should not. Because when an accident occurs, the disadvantaged party is always the pedestrian. Since this has not yet turned into a culture, there is no need to test it with our lives. Drivers should also definitely check their mirrors when they are going to yield to a pedestrian. They should yield if there is no vehicle coming from behind.”

Safe driver is important, not safe vehicle…

Stating that there were 1 million motorcycles in Türkiye in 2019, and this number rose to 8 million in 2024, InstructorÖzgür Şener said, “While there were 44,000 accidents in 2019, there were 123,000 accidents in 2024, and our youth between the ages of 16 and 20 were most affected in these accidents.”

Emphasizing that motorcycles are a very practical vehicle but threaten both young people and other elements in traffic, Şener said, “Actually, it is not possible to talk about the safety or insecurity of a vehicle. What will we talk about? We will talk about the safe driver. That is, we will talk about drivers who are aware of the dangers, who adjust the speeds of their vehicles within normal legal limits, and who can see the general traffic, and who can drive proactively. Because it is always said that motorcycles are very dangerous. No, motorcycles are not dangerous. We unfortunately make them dangerous.”

Having a driver's license does not mean having the ability to drive a vehicle

Regarding the issue of age-related driving restrictions, Şener stated that he did not find lowering the driver's age limit correct, emphasizing that what is truly important is the individuals' physical and mental health status. Şener, adding that age alone should not be the determinant and that it is important to evaluate a person's fitness and suitability for driving through regular health checks, also argued that individuals under the age of 18 do not yet have sufficient sense of responsibility, and therefore the current lower age limit should be maintained.

Underlining that a person having a driver's license does not show that they have the ability to drive a vehicle, Şener said, “Especially companies, if they are going to give a vehicle to an employee, should not just look at the year on the driver's license. They should definitely evaluate that person with a driving assessment. Because driving a vehicle is important.”

“Do not guess what the other party will do, try to stay on the safe side”

Expressing that driving ability can also change depending on the emotional state of drivers, InstructorÖzgür Şener conveyed the following:

“No solution can be found in traffic through conflict or fighting. The only thing that can be changed in traffic is oneself; one's own mindset and one's own behaviors. We do not know who is in the car on the other side. Maybe it's a mother rushing to her child, maybe a father taking his patient somewhere, maybe someone with a lot of debt who was fired from their job 5 minutes ago, or someone who just got their driver's license and is in traffic for the first time. We always start from ourselves when driving. Like ‘I would not have done that if it were me. I would have behaved like this if it were me’... But you do not know who is in the driver's seat of that vehicle. That's why you have to take all precautions based on yourself. Because you cannot manage them. Always stay on the cautious side. Do not guess what the other party will do, try to stay on the safe side, and always evaluate other people as if they got their driver's license the day before and are in traffic for the first time, so that you do not try to fight with them.”

Importance should be given to in-vehicle technologies…

Emphasizing that since children do not have a perception of danger until the ages of 11-12, they see vehicles and traffic as a game, and therefore drivers should reduce their speed especially when they see children or in areas such as parks and school vicinities where children are present, Şener said, “We recommend that drivers reduce their speeds to 20s or even 10s when near a children's park or school. Also, since children are small, they can remain in the blind spots of vehicles. Attention should also be paid to this issue.”

Noting that cameras, sensors, tracking systems, and warning systems in vehicles make drivers' lives easier, Şener concluded his words as follows:

“They are magnificent equipment for seeing the mistakes made by the driver or pedestrian. We recommend that drivers, when choosing a vehicle, have these preventive systems and technologies in their vehicles, especially those that protect pedestrians and provide information about pedestrians, as much as possible. These systems can be factory-fitted, or they can be added to the vehicle afterwards. Great importance should be given to the parts in vehicle technologies that protect pedestrians, prevent collisions, and prevent traffic accidents.”

 

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)