Israel has recorded 200 road deaths since the start of the year, including eight in the past week, according to the National Road Safety Authority. The toll comes from 181 fatal crashes and is accompanied by 821 people seriously injured. Although the death count is still about 5% lower than in the same period last year, when 211 people had died, safety professionals say the early-year improvement is fading and warn that 2026 could end near 2025’s level of 459 road deaths, the highest in more than 20 years.
Yaniv Yaakov, CEO of the Or Yarok association, said much of the gap with last year was created during wartime, when traffic volumes dropped sharply. “If we remove those weeks, we are actually at numbers very similar to 2024 and 2025,” he said, adding that it is still too early to declare a trend reversal. He warned that unless the state changes how it handles the problem, Israel could again finish with a death toll similar to last year.
The data show that private cars remain the deadliest category, with 75 deaths, or 38% of all fatalities. There have also been 11 deaths involving heavy vehicles, while motorcycle and scooter riders account for 26% and pedestrians for 23%. People aged 20 to 34 are the most affected group, with 80 deaths, about 40% of the total. By road type, 129 deaths occurred on intercity roads, 64 in cities, and seven in off-road incidents. The fatalities include 99 Jews, 79 Arabs, 11 foreign citizens, and seven others.
The figures were released as Israel’s national road safety plan remains only partially implemented. Although the state budget approved 350 million shekels for anti-crash programs, the National Road Safety Authority has not yet received the full amount from the Finance Ministry, delaying many planned measures. Yaakov criticized the government, saying there are “many declarations and few actions,” and argued that road safety efforts need a long-term, multi-year framework combining enforcement, infrastructure, education, and public awareness.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Ministry is promoting a tougher penalty-point system for dangerous violations such as mobile phone use while driving, failure to yield, and running red lights, but the reform is still in an early stage and is expected to advance only under the next government. It is not currently pushing higher traffic fines, despite comments by Transportation Minister Miri Regev about a possible 10,000-shekel fine for phone use while driving. The ministry is also considering expanding 120 kph speed limits beyond certain stretches of Highway 6, a plan that road safety experts oppose during a period of persistently high fatalities.
