I just got back from a trip to vsit relatives in Nice and Monaco.. Waiting for me was a speeding ticket.
Some years ago I was stopped doing 61Kph in a 50kph zone and let off with a warning. Since then I have been careful to keep sub 60Kph in the belief that was ok. It might work with cops but not machines. I was doing 57Kph corrected to 52Kph... this cost 90 euros... and worse I will have a point knocked off my licence. This will be bit of a logistical nightmare as my licence is a UK one. I think I will have to trade it for a French one to get the points knocked off

Try living here with that speed limit... Usually, police do not fine people from their area and those guys do not wear any helmet or any kind of protection and usually they are above the speed limits.

The Turkish Speed Limits made nearly 50-60 years ago and they haven't updated it. Motorcycles have a speed limit of 70 km/h, off-road vehicles (most SUVs belong to this category) and any kind of semi-trucks and trucks have speed limit of 80 km/h. The police are really flexible about SUV that I haven't seen any SUV fined for going over 88 km/h but they are not that flexible about motorcycles. As far as I know, they have a quota which they should control enough number of motorcycles so they usually pick the people who has big motorcycles, wearing helmets from other cities, or countries and control or fine them.

Our Motorcycle federation tried to do something about it but they are not a effective federation. As motorcycle riders in Turkey, we always talk in the our local forums about doing something about it but the result is nothing, all we do is talking. Also, There is no strong civil organization which could rally protest ride against these speed limits. (and Also, some riders agree and like these limits).

What we do is, try to negotiate (namely, bribe) if we get caught but these days it is harder because radars are also recording images or videos of the vehicles and those were checked from time to time cross-referenced with the fines so, the police are afraid of being caught. If we can see the car with the radar and if there is a side road in between the radar car and the check point, we usually take that side road and try to circumnavigate the check point. Also, we usually prefer the side roads instead of main roads because there is small chance of police being on these roads.

Also, fines are rated. If you are %10 to % 30 over the limit, the fine is 128 TL, if you are %30 and up over the limit, the fine is 265 TL. If you pay on site, there is %25 discount on the fine.

Cheers,
Ozgur

Brian and Maria:
I had an almost identical experience as you a few weeks ago - 265 TL fine, and similar thoughts about traveling at 70kph (unsafe). Traffic cops didn't say anything about paying them on the spot though - so I thought I'd have to pay when exiting the country. They actually jumped into the car and drove off as soon as they handed me the ticket, so there was no discussion (I think it was lunch!)

Instead of taking my time, traveling up to Istanbul (spending 3 weeks in Turkey), I headed straight for the border of Greece. With gas at over $2.50 USD a liter, and 70kph speed limits, I had enough of Turkey, which is actually a very nice country (people), very scenic, with good roads for motorcycling.

At the border, no one asked for the money, so either
1) I escaped before the paperwork got entered into the computer?
2) maybe i only got a warning ticket?
3) maybe tickets don't really apply to foreigners?
4) the traffic police and the border police ignore each other?
5) all the above, none of the above?
6) who knows?

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Hold on a bit, where did you get the quoted information from? Do you have any link to an official site or a law that says the speed limit for 4x4/SUVs is less than 120 Km/h on motorways, even in Turkish?

Some posts back there's a link to speed limits in Turkey, here's the translated version so we can all speak the same language: Translated version of http://trfdenetleme.iem.gov.tr/(S(klvzeq452uqag155vl11q455))/hiz_limitleri.aspx
Where does it say about 4x4/SUVs?

Not only here did i read, that for some time now, people are being penalized for speeding ........ precisely for 91 km/hr ......... but i also have been hearing from the locals too...

Although its very embarrassing ...i have to admit it....

Every time when the goverment needs some financial support ...they start doing this. If you pay the penalty in 7 days they even give you %15 discount ... no joke!

And they write for 91 km/hr, so that you pay the minimum amount of penalty and it wont hurt too much ...

Thats why for everyone, coincidentaly, is receiving ticket for 91.

Here is what I read and not hearing from locals ....

This is the law: karayollari trafik yonetmeligi - on the government site ::.. TRAFÝK HÝZMETLERÝ BAÞKANLIÐI ..::- where it says the speed limit is:
Otomobil, M1, M1G (Değişik: RG-05/07/2003-25159) 50 .... 90 ..... 120

M1 and M1G are motor vehicle categories and the above statement means any M1 or M1G motor vehicle is considered "Otomobil".

Here are the relevant bits from vehicle classification:

What you 'heard' from other people might be true if they were pulling a trailer behind their car or there were other particular road conditions or traffic signs.

So, 4x4s or SUVs (like Land/Range Rovers, Toyota Land Cruisers etc) are "Otomobil"s and they are allowed 120km/h on the highways


One other thing. "Arazi taşıtlarında ve motosikletlerde" in the above quoted law refers to Motorcycles and ATVs (mostly). That's why they are in the same speed limit category.



Although off topic, here are some links for our friend Nath here, to check the current (live) fuel prices in Turkey:
- M-Oil Fuel Price - choose a station below "POMPA FIYATLARI" (price at the fuel pump)
- BP fuel price - choose a city ("İl Adı:") then choose the station within an area in that city ("İlçe Adı") then click "Bul" (it means "Find").

I came across this sign last summer; a bit extreme, I thought, even for Turkey!

Stephan

The answer to the question "Why isn't the '20' centered in the red circle like '50' and '90' are?" should bring your eyeballs back in place

Is the petrol in Turkey really that expensive?? $2.50 US for a litre?!

When I'm riding through Turkey next month I reckon I'll be obeying their stupidly low speed limits if only to try and reduce my fuel consumption!!!

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UK to Mongolia 2009, on a DR350

yes ...

I was paying more than US$3 ($3,50 Australian) a litre last year!! It was cheaper to stay put while I waited for my Iranian visa than to travel - even though I was on a bike. At least bus fares around Istanbul were cheap

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Just Ride!
www.rocktravels.blogspot.com