Cyclists' reactions to accidents, penalties should be deterrent

Cyclists have been shaken by a series of accidents in the past week. The driver who hit and killed Doğanay Güzelgün in Istanbul has not yet been caught. In Diyarbakır, the driver who hit and killed basketball player Mihrace Yasemin Buğdaycı was released. Gazi Bilir, the Istanbul Representative of the Turkish Cycling Federation, said, "To prevent accidents, we need to make changes in education and laws."

He emphasized the need for deterrent penalties, stating: "We engage in sports activities, especially during traffic-free hours. Yet, accidents and casualties still occur. The killer of Doğanay Güzelgün has not been caught, and now we have received bad news from Diyarbakır. Penalties should be deterrent."

"Changes are necessary."

"To prevent accidents, we need to make changes in education first and then in laws. This way, we can make it a cultural norm. We should install signs that indicate the presence of bicycle lanes and shared roads. Bicycle lanes should be uninterrupted. In Istanbul, 70% of bicycle lanes fall below the standard. To ensure that cyclists can ride comfortably in traffic, this issue needs to be discussed in parliament, and even a "workshop" should be held."