To reduce city and intercity bus accidents, the government is making black box systems mandatory for public transport, including city buses and passenger buses. Initially, this system will be required for around 500,000 vehicles.
In September 2017, following the “Traffic Safety and Road Passenger Transport” workshop, the Interior Ministry mandated cameras in all passenger transport vehicles, including minibuses, midibuses, buses, and municipal buses, by the end of 2019.
Starting with IETT
The ministry is now preparing to implement the black box system in about 500,000 public transport vehicles, similar to airplane black boxes. A pilot program has already been launched in 520 IETT vehicles to enable accident analysis.
In Effect by 2019
According to Sabah, black boxes, which provide 99% accurate results, will be mandatory by the end of 2019. Integrated with in-vehicle cameras, the system will allow a thorough analysis of traffic accidents. Mustafa Yıldırım, President of the Turkish Bus Federation (TOF), stated that measures discussed in the workshop to minimize traffic accidents are being implemented one by one. “On October 25, 2017, the Road Transport Regulation introduced a camera requirement for passenger transport vehicles. Now, black boxes will also become mandatory,” said Yıldırım.
Accidents Could Decrease by 50%
Yıldırım emphasized the importance of these systems for accurate post-accident analysis. “The government aims to address accident causes with these systems. With mandatory driver alert systems, accidents could be reduced by 50%,” he added. Yıldırım mentioned plans to discuss the need for mandatory driver alert systems with Interior Ministry officials next week.
The Black Box
The mandatory black box system will record various parameters, such as gas and brake pedal use, fuel level, gear, handbrake, speed, fault codes, engine, axle, transmission, and environmental conditions like location, route, and distance. Data from black boxes and cameras will be sent to the General Directorate of Security to determine if the accident was caused by the road, driver error, or vehicle issues.