Under the new regulation, penalty points will be issued to drivers for traffic offenses detected by the Electronic Detection System and Mobile Electronic Systems Integration (MOBESE). The National Police Department hopes this regulation will deter drivers from violating the traffic rules. According to the regulation, when a vehicle is detected by traffic cameras driving in the emergency lane, running a red light or breaking any kind of traffic rule, the registered owner of the car’s license plate will have penalty points added to his or her driving license.
The owner of the vehicle will have a two-week period in which to make an appeal if he or she was not driving the vehicle at the time of the incident. The person who was reported by the owner of the vehicle to have violated the rule will be compared to a photograph of the driver taken by cameras. If they match, the individual will have penalty points added to his or her license.
Data received from the National Police Department reveals that approximately 4,200,000 traffic tickets were issued in the first half of the year 2011. The data also indicates that the amount earned from fines issued for traffic violations in 2011 was almost TL 570 million. In the mean time, police seized driving licenses from 56,380 people for driving under the influence of alcohol, 200,000 for exceeding the speed limit five times in a year and 7,482 for accumulating 100 penalty points, which is the maximum number of points allowed in a year.
According to the Highway Traffic Law, if drivers accumulate 100 penalty points in a year, their licenses will be suspended for two months. During this period, they are required to attend a traffic training course at a driving school and certify it to re-obtain their licenses. If a driver whose license has already been suspended once again accumulates 100 points in a year, the license is cancelled for a further four months. At the end of this period, the driver is examined by a psychiatrist who decides whether the individual qualifies for the license or not. If the driver accumulates 100 points for a third year running, the license is permanently cancelled.
