TRANSITION FROM TRAFFIC ETHICS TO TRAFFIC MORALITY WITHIN CONTEXT OF PEOPLE-ORIENTED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Year 2012, Volume: 12 Issue: 24, 427 - 461, 01.12.2012

Abdulkadir Mahmutoğlu Adnan Çimen Nesrin Çobanoğlu

Abstract

Traffic is one of the most important problems in both developed and developing
countries in this century. Majority of our time in daily life is spent in traffic or places
which are exposed to effect of traffic. In other words, traffic has become an integrated
part of our life. Although current vehicles enable us to reach target point more faster than
before, they are becoming more unbearable day by day due to problems which they cause.
Therefore while people use the vehicles to faciliate their daily life, their vehichle lead
them into a life-threatening environment.
Deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents are among major sources of concern in
society. Failing in preventing traffic accidents leads to primitive, tragic, and cruel scenes,
in spite of much progress in science and technology. Thus traffic accidents take
significant place in agenda of society.
Even though humanism and human rights & freedoms are the most important values
of our century, humanism is not integrated into the way of traffic application in Turkey.
“Human” is thought to be as an existence to be carried in association with other assets
such animals and goods, and people who drive vehicles are seen as “drivers”. Based on
this perspective fines to drivers is considered the only solution to ensure order in traffic.
However, many concepts such as ethics, morality, justice, truth, etc. should be brought to
agenda when spoken about human.
It is obvious that traffic system is the one of facts which allows us comparing
countries in terms of civilization, human rights, respect to law, etc. Nature and quality of
transportation system, functionality of traffic system, and relevant data are indicators of
civilization and development status of countries just like functioning of blood vessels and
blood values are indicators for health of body. This data can provide sufficient
information to evaluate a country and society.
As mentioned, almost there is no humanism in traffic perspective of Turkey. Lack of
morality, basic culture, knowledge, and respect is observed in terms of traffic.
Unsufficient awareness regarding to lack of traffic morality makes harder solving the
problem.
Traffic ethics and morality mean philosophical dimensions of any and all issues about
traffic and concepts such as good, true, wrong, etc. and answers to many questions such
as what, why, how, etc. are looked for in this area. While traffic ethics is a theoretical
concept the traffic morality is about concrete practice, experienced problems, and
attributes and attitudes in traffic in daily life. Although people have knowledge and
information about traffic the picture drawn in daily life is not good. This indicates the lack
of morality, which means practice of ethics in daily life. While ethics represents
philosophical background in any field the morality is defined as practice in daily life. In
this context, creating and implementing morality in traffic is a major problem. Problems
become harder to solve when ethics and morality cannot be connected to each other.
Traffic ethics covers how people behave in traffic, what are the goods and wrongs,
about sanctity of right to live, why not to hurt people, and why to show respect to rights
and freedoms of other people.
It is observed that traffic law is not sufficient without traffic morality. Without ethics
and morality, it is hard –or impossible- to obtain expected results from social systems and
laws. In this case, new problems such as excessive prescriptivism, detailed arrangements for any and all problems, and infinite legislation are arising. The solution should be based
on ethics and morality.
Moreover, having knowledge of ethics does not constitute any value on itself likewise
computer usage. Computers can compute, storage, and use any and all kinds of
information but no one expects them to have a value judgment. Memories of computers
do not deserve any respect. In this context, existence of ethics information does not mean
anything without practice. Similarly, knowledge on traffic rules and law tells us nothing
without practice. That is, practice and application are more important than having
knowledge.
Developed countries have established present level of ethics and moral understanding
on great effort in long time. Quality of human resources is decisive in all fields.
Societies’ habit to think and evaluate matters in existing ethics and moral understanding is
probably one of the most important values as elements of their social capital. In this
respect, development and implementation of traffic ethics and morality will require an
ongoing effort.
Meeting the requirements such as human life, happiness, freedom, justice depends on
progress of morality and ethic regardless of development in knowledge, science and
technology. For example if people who can purchase and use expensive vehicles in traffic
do not have ethical thought and moral responsibility level of technological and scientific
development remain meaningless to meet the requirements..
Origin of moral rules is the necessity of arranging relations between individuals or
need to arrange attitudes and attributes of people in society on basis of a sense of
responsibility. Thus, that lies underneath traffic ethics is the rules of traffic, which are
based on ethical thoughts, as well.
Ethics and morality are the first rules that continuously applied in social life. Other
social, legal, political, or administrative rules may sometimes be interrupted in practice
but order of life is predominantly based upon rules of ethics and morality. In society
where ethics and moral rules are interrupted it will be harder to keep social life in order.
All systems should stand on a moral and ethics understanding in order to stay standing up.
Accordingly, functioning of traffic system is essential for keeping social life continuous.
Therefore, all other systems and rules will be damaged, as well, when traffic order cannot
be established on ethics and moral approach.
Justice is the first and major concept which is in relation with ethics and moral.
Without justice, it will not be meaningful to speak about freedom, equity, happiness,
peace, etc. which constitute basis for ethics and morality. In this respect, regulations
which privilege some individuals and institutions should be avoided of as it will damage
the sense of justice in society.
When existing traffic understanding is questioned it is understood that society needs a
transformation process which ensure transition from vehicle- or rule-oriented approach to
people-oriented approach in order to establish an approach of morality in traffic. When
“human” will be the focus of all regulations and activities, especially traffic legislation, as
per “Approach of People-Oriented Traffic”, traffic system will have an order so as to
facilitate life of people and a new understanding of traffic ethics and morality will have
been established. This study is on transition from traffic ethics to traffic morality, examines close
relations between these two concepts, and highlights people-oriented understanding,
ethics, and morality as solution of traffic problem.

Keywords

Traffic, ethics, morality

İNSAN ODAKLI TRAFİK YÖNETİMİ BAĞLAMINDA TRAFİK ETİĞİNDEN TRAFİK AHLAKINA GEÇİŞ

Abstract

Trafik 21. yüzyılda ülkelerin en önemli sorunlarının başında yer almaktadır. Bilim ve teknolojide yaşanan ilerlemelere rağmen trafik kazalarının ve ölümlerin önlenememesi, netice itibariyle giderek ilkel, acıklı ve acımasız bir görüntüye yol açmaktadır. Türkiye’deki trafik sisteminin insani değerleri, ahlâk ve etik düşünceyi dışladığı gözlenmektedir. Trafik ahlakı olmadan salt trafik hukukunun çözüm olmadığı gözlenmektedir. Trafik etiği, insanlara trafik işleyişinde nasıl davranılacağını, iyi ve kötünün ne olduğunu, hayat hakkının kutsallığı, insanlara neden zarar verilmemesi gerektiğini, hak ve hürriyetlere niçin saygı gösterilmesi gerektiğini ifade etmektedir. Trafik sisteminde etiğin uygulanmasını ifade eden ahlak bakımından bir noksanlık, trafik ahlakına ilişkin temel bir kültür, bilgi ve görgü eksikliği gözlenmektedir. Etik ve ahlak ilkeleri olmadan sosyal sistemlerin ve hukuk kurallarının beklendiği ölçüde etkili ve faydalı olması güçleşmektedir. Çözüm etik ve ahlak eksenli olmalıdır. Bu çalışmada trafik etiğinden trafik ahlakına geçiş konusu ele alınarak, aralarındaki yakın ilişki irdelenecek ve trafik sorununun çözümünde insan odaklı anlayış ile etik ve ahlak kavramları vurgulanmaktadır.

Keywords

Trafik, Etik, Ahlak