Drink driving cannot be prevented by police enforcement alone, without the deterrent of law

The president of the Traffic Accidents Prevention Association (TKÖD), Mehmet Zeki Avcı has emphasized the need to increase penalties for drunk driving claiming that it cannot be prevented only by police inspections, without deterring laws.

In his written statement on the subject, Avcı pointed out that drivers under the influence of alcohol knowingly and directly endanger their lives and those around them. "In the last year, alcohol rates in drivers have started to exceed 8 times the legal limit for alcohol," he said.

Noting that there are fatal accidents with 425 milligrams of alcohol detected in the driver's blood, even though the legally allowed amount of alcohol is 50 milligrams, Avcı noted that the high level of alcohol levels of 200-300 milligrams draws attention in accidents that occur even in cities.

“The alcoholic driver has an accident not because he is careless, but because he is under the influence of alcohol. Avcı continued:

“Recently, it is remarkable that the rate of alcohol detected in the driver during driving under the influence of alcohol is close to loss of consciousness.

It is impossible for such drivers not to crash. They are wandering on the road with the danger of dying and being killed.

Drinking driving laws cannot be prevented by police oversight alone without a deterrent. The driver, who is detected by the police without an accident with more than 100 milligrams of alcohol in his blood, is given a penalty of 13,563 TL and the seizure of his driver's license for 3 months. The person who buys this amount of alcohol without fear of the state authority pays this amount comfortably and can dare to continue driving for 3 months. It is seen in the accident and death figures that the current penalties do not deter those who drive by drinking alcohol.

In 2021, 7 fatal accidents due to drunk drivers, 8 fatal accidents in 2022 and 2 pedestrians died in just 27 days in 2023 due to drunk drivers.

Drink driving reduces the road safety level gradually, and it is remarkable that the authorities do not take/refrain from taking radical preventive measures against the risk of life by those who drink alcohol arbitrarily.

Our recommendation to the competent authorities in traffic laws for the immediate prevention of drunk driving:

1- In the alcohol test of the driver's breath, the driver's license is confiscated for six months and his car for 3 months.

2- If the driver's breath alcohol test is above 150 promil, the driver's license is confiscated, he is brought to court within 5 working days, his driver's license and car are confiscated until the court date.

3- By making a legal arrangement, handcuffs are attached by the municipality to the vehicles confiscated at the place indicated by the driver.

In order to prevent accidents, the competent authorities should be in charge of taking deterrent measures by valuing these facts.

It will be effective in saving lives if the competent authorities with the duty of preventing accidents, the government, the Council of Ministers, the ministers, the Assembly, the deputies, the directors, the Traffic and Transport Services Commission take urgent measures in this direction.

We invite the authorities, which have more effective suggestions than these, to share their suggestions with the public and to make the necessary legal arrangements.

The main duty of the state and governments is to ensure the safety of life and property on the roads.

Yeniduzen