Haifa, Acre, and Hadera Lead Israeli Cities in Child Road Accident Risks During Summer

During the summer months of June, July, and August 2025, 379 children under 14 were involved in road accidents in Israel, with eight fatalities and 60 severe injuries, according to data from the Or Yarok Association based on Central Bureau of Statistics figures. The summer break poses heightened risks for children due to the lack of structured daytime activities, increased street presence, and family travel, leading to the highest rates of child road injuries annually.

Or Yarok analyzed accident data from 2021 to 2025 across Israeli cities with populations over 50,000, measuring child injury rates per 1,000 children. Haifa ranked as the most dangerous city for children during summer, with an average of 0.27 injured children per 1,000 annually, equating to 16 children each summer. Acre followed with 0.25 per 1,000 (three children per summer), and Hadera was third at 0.209 per 1,000 (five children per summer). Ashkelon and Petah Tikva completed the top five cities with similarly high injury rates.

Larger cities like Tel Aviv-Jaffa and Jerusalem had lower per capita rates despite higher absolute numbers; Tel Aviv-Jaffa ranked 14th with 0.13 injuries per 1,000 children, while Jerusalem was 19th with 0.12 per 1,000. Among Haredi cities, Beitar Illit ranked 23rd, Bnei Brak 32nd, and Modiin Illit 41st in child road injury rates.

Or Yarok CEO Attorney Yaniv Yaakov emphasized the urgent need for the Ministry of Transport and local authorities to implement comprehensive safety measures, including identifying hazardous intersections and reducing speed limits near schools, parks, and community centers. He warned that if no action is taken, child road fatalities could reach 50 by year-end, the highest in two decades. Yaakov stressed that children’s behavior is naturally risky, so the environment must be made safer and more forgiving of mistakes.