Nearly Half of Summer Road Accident Deaths Among Children Are Arab Israelis
An average of 18 children and teenagers aged 0-19 die annually in road accidents during the summer months in Israel, according to data from the Or Yarok Association based on Central Bureau of Statistics figures. Each year, about 1,154 children and youth are involved in road accidents during June, July, and August, averaging 13 daily casualties, with 129 sustaining serious injuries. In 2025 alone, 17 children died in summer road accidents: 5 in June, 4 in July, and 8 in August.
Urban roads see an average of 645 child and youth casualties each summer, including 8 fatalities and 89 serious injuries. Jerusalem leads in urban casualties, with 40 children affected in summer 2025, including one death and 14 serious injuries. Over the past decade, 837 children were injured in Jerusalem during summer months, with 12 fatalities and 130 serious injuries.
August is identified as the most dangerous month for young road users, with 4,025 casualties over the last decade. The most hazardous hour is between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., when 1,002 children were injured in the past ten years. Pedestrians and vehicle passengers constitute the majority of fatalities: 59 children died as pedestrians, 58 as vehicle passengers, and 26 while riding bicycles, scooters, or similar vehicles.
A significant disparity exists in the Arab Israeli community, which accounts for 48% of child and youth road deaths during summer despite representing only about 24% of the age group population. Over the last decade, 86 Arab children and teenagers died in summer road accidents, highlighting a disproportionate risk within this demographic.
