Law 7574 adds heavy vehicle lane rules to Turkey's Highway Traffic Law

Law No. 7574, amending the Highway Traffic Law (No. 2918), was published in Türkiye's Official Gazette on 27 February 2026. Parliament had passed it on 12 February. The law is a broad package of changes to traffic rules and penalties.

Among its provisions, the law amended Article 46 of the Highway Traffic Law, which governs how vehicles use lanes and move on the road. The change added lane-use rules for heavy vehicles, generally understood as motor vehicles with a maximum laden weight above 3,500 kilograms. These vehicles are expected to keep to the right-hand lanes rather than occupy faster left-hand lanes.

The amendment mattered because heavy trucks in left-hand lanes are widely seen as a cause of congestion and of risky overtaking on Turkish motorways. Putting the requirement into the law itself, and attaching administrative fines to breaches, gave enforcement a clearer legal basis. Reports on the exact fine amounts vary, and they can change with annual revaluation, so readers should check the current figures with official sources.