The indicator is a driving force indicator. The average age of the vehicle fleet is an indirect indicator of the environmental friendliness of road transport. It is expected that the value of this indicator and its impact on the environment will be reduced by replacing old and polluting vehicles with newer and cleaner vehicles.

However, despite this expectation, it was found that the average age of total vehicles registered for traffic was 12 years in 2004 and 14.2 years in 2020. While the average age of passenger cars was 10 years in 2004, it increased by 32% to 13.2 years in 2018. The average age of other vehicle types in 2020 was as follows: 14.4 years for minibuses,14.1 years for buses, 12.3 years for pickup trucks, 17.2 years for trucks, 13.7 years for motorcycles, 13.1 years for special purpose vehicles, and 24.2 years for tractors ^[87].

In the EU-27 countries, the average age of passenger cars was 11.5 years in 2019, although it is lower than in Turkey. The average age of other types of vehicles in 2019 was 11.6 years for light commercial vehicles, 13 years for heavy vehicles, and 11.7 years for buses^[88].

GRAPH 118- AVERAGE AGE OF VEHICLE TYPES REGISTERED IN TRAFFIC (2004-2020)

Source: TURKSTAT, 2021

The percentage of cars over 21 years old is high in Turkey and is 25.2% in 202089. In 2019, the share of cars over 21 years old is 4.5% in Denmark and 6.3% in the Netherlands and Belgium^[90].

Looking at the distribution of total vehicles registered in traffic by age group in Turkey in 2020, it can be seen that 24,8 % of vehicles fell into the 0-5 age group, 23,3% into the 6-10 age group, 17,5% into the 11-15 age group, 9.3% into the 16-20 age group, and 25.2% into the 21+ age group.

GRAPH 119- DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL VEHICLES REGISTERED IN TRAFFIC BY AGE GROUP (%), 2004-2020

Source: TURKSTAT,2021