Israel Ranks Near Bottom in European Road Safety Report

A new report from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) places Israel 27th out of 29 countries in reducing serious road injuries over the past decade, highlighting a significant gap compared to European nations. The "Or Yarok" association reported that while Europe has seen an average decrease of 12.4% in serious road injuries between 2015 and 2025, Israel experienced an increase of at least 27% during the same period. The situation has worsened in the last two years, with 2025 recording 2,761 serious injuries, nearly eight per day, and 2024 marking the worst year in a decade with 2,808 serious injuries.

Tel Aviv-Yafo recorded the highest number of serious injuries among major cities between 2016 and 2025, with 2,010 people injured. In 2025 alone, Tel Aviv-Yafo saw 202 serious injuries, a 5% increase from the previous year. Jerusalem, however, showed improvement, with 165 serious injuries in 2025, a 28% decrease from 2024. Haifa reported 76 serious injuries. Petah Tikva and Ramat Gan saw negative trends, with 67 and 59 serious injuries respectively, marking increases of 22% and 9%.

"Or Yarok" Director General Yaniv Yaakov criticized the government's road safety policies, calling road accidents a national problem and pointing to the country's low international ranking as evidence of serious issues within the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety. Yaakov stated that a long-term national safety plan has been prepared but its implementation is delayed. He emphasized that while most European countries are reducing serious road injuries, Israel has moved in the opposite direction over the past decade.