There has been a significant increase in traffic accidents, in particular speeding and drink-driving incidents, President of the Association for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents, Dr. Mehmet Zeki Avcı said.
In an interview with Kibris Postasi Avci said that in the last fatal traffic accident, the driver was under the influence of 425 mg/100 ml of alcohol, where the legal limit is 50mg/100ml.
He said that if a driver tests positive for alcohol consumption it means that the government has failed in its duty.
Fines, Avic said, are not a sufficient deterrent.
Drugs and Driving
The law on driving under the influence of drugs has not come into force yet. The state should be carrying out tests on drivers in order to alert the public to the seriousness of driving under the influence of drugs, Avci said.
Only the police can fight against the spread of drug use, including raids by narcotics police, he said.
Poor Road Lighting
The public pay taxes and they should have the right to drive on well-lit roads, Avci said.
“The electricity authority, municipalities and the Ministry of Finance should solve the lighting problem“, he said. This is the main duty of the institutions. “Negligence in the lighting of the roads invites accidents“.
Avci went on to say that it was not right to cut power to street lighting because the municipality had not paid its electricity bills. This was another shameful act by the state, Avci said.
He also called on drivers to drive with more care on unlit roads, even if there are no police or speed cameras present.
