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Şule İdil Dere lost her life after an earth-moving truck hit her in the Yoğurtçu Park in Kadıköy, İstanbul on May 12, 2016. Her family and friends have been preparing the Earth-Moving Truck, Concrete Mixer and Public Service Loss of Life Report for the last two years.
The aim of the report is to show that the earth-moving trucks and concrete mixers, which are designed to operate in open field construction sites, are causing more and more losses of life and casualties in cities and to call the authorities to take urgent measures regarding the issue.
According to the report, earth-moving trucks and concrete mixers claimed the lives of at least 253 people and injured 943 others in Turkey throughout 2018. 53 of 253 deceased people were pedestrians.
80-percent increase in a year
When compared with the figures in 2017, this year's report has shown that the loss of life caused by earth-moving trucks and concrete mixers increased by 80 percent in 2018. The number of people who died by being hit or overrun by these vehicles was announced as 141 in 2017.
Accountability of public institutions
The use of earth-moving trucks and concrete mixers and the measures to be taken against them are under the responsibility of public institutions such as district and metropolitan municipalities, governorships, General Directorate of Highways and Directorate General of Security.
However, in 31 of 253 incidents involving death, the vehicles which claimed the lives of people were operating in the name of public (public enterprises) or as part of a public work.
Five provinces with the highest number of casualties due to earth-moving trucks and concrete mixers have been listed as follows: İstanbul (22), İzmir (17), Maraş (17), Kocaeli (13) and Ankara (10).
How was the data collected?
The following account is provided by the report regarding collection of data:
"It is not difficult to estimate that the number of casualties caused by earth-moving trucks, concrete mixers and other public vehicles that we have compiled from local and national press is, in fact, much higher.
"In its periodical reports on traffic accidents involving death, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) does not include the data on losses of life caused by earth-moving trucks, concrete mixers and other public vehicles, which constitute the main subject matter of our report."
Accordingly, in the conclusion of the report, a call has been made to the TurkStat to share the statistics on losses of life caused by public-private vehicles with the public. (HK/SD)
