Minister Regev's Road Safety Promises Unfulfilled Amid Rising Fatalities

Miri Regev's second term as Israel's Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, beginning December 29, 2022, has been marked by a significant failure to reduce road fatalities. Both 2024 and 2025 saw record-breaking numbers of deaths on the roads, a trend that continued into 2026 with only a slight decrease attributed to a March lull during Operation "Lion's Roar." This lack of progress has led to Israel's suspension from the European Road Safety Charter's (ETSC) PIN program, with the ETSC citing the Israeli government's actions as incompatible with a basic commitment to saving lives.

The Ministry of Transportation attributed the ETSC's decision to political motives. However, the surge in road deaths, contrary to trends in most European countries, Regev's perceived lack of focus on road safety, and the departure of key figures like former National Road Safety Authority Chairman Avi Naor and CEO Erez Kita suggest otherwise. Despite these outcomes, Regev made numerous public statements and promises regarding road safety improvements during her tenure.

Several key initiatives announced by Regev have not materialized. These include the introduction of ride-sharing services like Uber, which remains illegal in Israel as of October 2026, despite a Knesset bill advancing. Promises to significantly increase fines for offenses like mobile phone use while driving, including a proposed 10,000 shekel fine and vehicle confiscation, have not been implemented. The planned cancellation of the internal driving test, intended to reduce costs for students, was postponed indefinitely due to opposition and technical issues. Similarly, the approval of full autonomous driving for Tesla, which Regev pledged to advance after receiving petitions from Israeli Tesla drivers and discussing it with Elon Musk, has not occurred due to the Ministry of Transportation's failure to update regulations and address liability issues.

Furthermore, a multi-year national road safety program for 2026-2030, approved by the government in November 2025 with a goal of reducing fatalities by 25%, has not received its allocated 350 million shekels annually as of October 2026. Other unfulfilled promises include reducing the number of mandatory driving lessons, allowing annual vehicle inspections (tests) at authorized garages instead of just licensed institutes, and shortening waiting times at the Medical Institute for Road Safety (MIR). The Ministerial Committee on Road Safety, announced in November 2024, has met only three times in two years, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not attending any sessions, and its discussions have yielded no significant decisions.

Or Yarok Association CEO Yaniv Yaakov criticized Regev's tenure, stating that despite numerous promises, only a fraction were realized, evidenced by the "grim data." He highlighted the failure to approve the national program and the resulting negative road safety records and ETSC suspension as major failures, emphasizing that the cost of inaction is measured in human lives.