20-Year-Old Motor Courier Kaan Mert Sağlam Dies in İzmir Accident While Returning Home from Work

İZMİR – Kaan Mert Sağlam, a 20-year-old motor courier, tragically lost his life in a traffic accident in the Karabağlar district of İzmir while heading home after his shift. The young courier's motorcycle collided with a taxi around 3:30 AM, causing him to suffer severe injuries from which he could not be saved despite medical intervention.

The fatal incident, announced by the Labor Health and Safety (İSİG) Assembly via social media, once again highlighted the perilous working conditions and dangers of night shifts faced by motor couriers in Turkey.

Accident Underlines Risks of Courier Work

The collision occurred in Karabağlar as Kaan Mert Sağlam was driving home after finishing his night work. The severe impact of the crash flung the young man onto the road, where he was attended to by rapidly dispatched medical and police teams. Tragically, all efforts to revive the 20-year-old were unsuccessful.

Kaan Mert Sağlam's death adds to the rising number of fatalities among motor couriers, a sector characterized by high-risk factors, including:

• Flexible and Long Hours: Excessive working hours and night shifts.

• Pressure to Speed: Constant pressure for fast delivery deadlines.

• Inadequate Safety Measures: Lack of sufficient occupational health and safety provisions.

The İSİG Assembly stressed that this tragedy should be treated as a workplace accident and demanded urgent improvements to the working conditions of motor couriers. Police authorities have initiated a comprehensive investigation into the incident.