Increased shipping traffic through the narrow Bosporus Straits has heightened fears of a major accident that could have serious environmental consequences and endanger the health of the 12 million residents of Istanbul that live on either side of the Straits. The Straits have witnessed an increase in shipping traffic since the end of the Cold War to the point that around 50,000 vessels per year (nearly one every 10 minutes) now pass through them. Around one-tenth of these are crude oil or liquefied natural gas tankers. This increased congestion has led to a growing number of accidents; between 1988 and 1992, there were 155 collisions in the Straits. In January 2001, work began on building a comprehensive radar and vessel control system for the waterway.
