Driving in Turkey
Driving in Turkey
Traffic in Turkey was much less noisier than I remembered it from previous trips. At times it seemed like I was the only one using the carhorn ! It’s only in the cities when you tend to hesitate for more than a nano-second when the lights turn green that the horns behind you start to work… but apart from that… no one seems to use it anymore.
Oh yes,… in Antalya, when it became known that Galatasaray was the new football champion, did we witness a national craze 
cars, buses, trucks, taxis and all kinds of vehicles started making noise ! What a difference with Iran where the horn should be an essential part of your driving style. Driving in Turkey article in I was in Turkey
Driver Safety Briefing
The cardinal rules of safety while driving in Turkey are: drive very defensively, avoid driving at night, and keep your emotions in check.
The Regional Security Office has analyzed American employee accidents that have occurred during the past several years in order to identify "lessons learned" that can be utilized to increase driver safety, prevent injuries and perhaps even save lives. The conclusion is that many of the accidents — not all, but many–were avoidable.
A number of accidents occurred when a local driver stopped, turned, or took unexpected action that resulted in the U.S. driver hitting another vehicle or being struck by a third vehicle. Many of the "unexpected" actions were unexpected according to U.S. driving practices but are quite common in Ankara, Istanbul and other parts of the country. About half of the accidents were clearly, according to local standards, the fault of the non-U.S. drivers. The key to reducing accidents is situational awareness, concentration and extremely defensive driving.
In the congested city of Istanbul, a high percentage of traffic-related deaths are pedestrians. The highest risk group for pedestrians is children and adolescents — totaling about 40 percent. Statistics released by the Istanbul Traffic Police indicate that evening rush hour (5-8 p.m.) is the most dangerous time on local highways. Not surprisingly, it is also the time of day when drivers are the least attentive. In 2002, the cities of Ankara and Istanbul accounted for more than half of the total vehicle accidents in Turkey; the 2002 countrywide total was 407,103 accidents for a national population of around 65 million. Driver Safety Briefing article in the Embass of The United States
Car Rental Turkey : Driving Information
To rent a car, you must be at least 21 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. A few car classes have a maximum rental age of 70 years. Seatbelts are mandatory but child safety seats are not mandatory. Car Rental Turkey : Driving Information
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Going to a car wash is a lot more water efficient then washing your car at home.
