While it is known that 2015 thousand 2021 people lost their lives as a result of traffic accidents between 44 and 633 in Turkey, an important campaign was launched to raise awareness about the risks of excessive speed. The public spot, supported by Turkish Stars, will be broadcast on TV and digital channels.
While it is known that the main cause of death in traffic accidents is excessive speed, data from the General Directorate of Security showed that 2015 thousand 2021 people lost their lives and nearly 44 million were injured as a result of traffic accidents between 633 and 2. My Rights in Traffic Association, which wants to draw attention to road safety as part of the fight against excessive speed, launched a meaningful awareness campaign and public service ad with the participation of the Turkish Air Force's Aerobatic Team "Turkish Stars" team, which has been Turkey's national team in the sky for more than 30 years. The Ministry of Interior and Ministry of National Defense also supported the campaign.
"Don't go over the speed limit, don't fly fast through life"
Turkish Stars pilots, who carried out demonstration flights around the world with the NF-1.235,5 5A/B aircraft, which accelerated to 2000 kilometers per hour and exceeded the speed of sound, drew attention to the importance of complying with the legal speed limits on the road.
Yasemin Usta, the Founding President of My Rights in Traffic Association, stated that the support of the Turkish Stars was very symbolic and strong in the campaign they prepared with the slogan "Don't exceed the speed limit, don't fly faster than life" and said, "The number of people who died in traffic accidents in the last 6 years is more than the capacity of Beşiktaş Stadium. We do not know the number of people who became disabled as a result of accidents and suffered the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, I am one of thousands of traffic victims. In 2012, I lost my cousin Gökhan Demir (18) due to an unlicensed driver who overtaking at an excessive speed. We have signed a public service ad to be broadcast on TV and digital channels to raise awareness about “excessive and inappropriate speed”, the number 1 cause of deaths and serious injuries in traffic accidents.
Reducing average speed by 5 percent reduces fatal crashes by 30 percent
According to the data available on the website of the Traffic Department of the General Directorate of Security, reducing the average speed in traffic by 5 percent reduces fatal accidents by 30 percent; Every 1 kilometer/hour increase in speed results in a 3 percent increase in injury accidents and a 4-5 percent increase in fatal accidents.
Underlining that excessive speed is an important factor affecting both the accident risk and the results of the accident, Yasemin Usta said, “For the driver and passengers, crashing at a speed of 90 kilometers is equivalent to falling from the tenth floor of a building. Speeding not only endanger the life of the driver and other drivers, but also pedestrians and cyclists, who are more vulnerable to accident risks. There is almost no chance of a pedestrian surviving after being hit by a vehicle traveling at 80 km/h. With the influence of social media, speeding and sharing the video of it unfortunately turned into an action to be proud of.” he said.
“It is a vital necessity to comply with the rules”
Major Kürşat Kömür, one of the pilots of the Turkish Stars, who makes demonstration flights with airplanes that can exceed the speed of sound, said, “Aviation is a lifestyle. Aviation; teaches that rules are written in blood, and that obeying them, both in the air and on land, is a vital necessity. When you get on the plane, you are connected to the seat from 10 different places. You cannot fly without connecting them. When I get in my car, I fasten my seat belt without starting the car. I always obey speed limits, whatever the rules are.” used the phrases.
Yasemin Usta, who said that we can prevent traffic accidents and most of the loss of life in these accidents, only by following the rules and legal speed limits, ended her words with the following words:
“The risks of excessive speed, which caused the death of thousands of people, should not be ignored, all stakeholders should work together to raise awareness, and the public should support these efforts. We invite our citizens who want to contribute to raising awareness to share the public service announcement with the hashtag #HayattanHazlaUçma, to warn those who speed and to support the campaign.”