Traffic Lawyer Backs Higher Speed Limits on Selected Israeli Roads

Transportation Minister Miri Regev has announced plans to raise the speed limit on some Israeli roads from 90 km/h to 110 km/h, prompting debate over whether the move is responsible policy or election-season populism. In a discussion with attorney Aryeh Orang, a specialist in traffic law, he said the change is justified because cars are safer today and many roads have been rebuilt and widened.

Orang pointed in particular to the Tel Aviv Jerusalem highway, saying a major renovation carried out there years ago improved visibility and road conditions enough to support faster driving. He argued that court cases over speeding have become, in his words, a “cash cow” for the state, because prosecutors often claim drivers endangered the public even when the facts do not support that.

He cited a common enforcement pattern on the Tel Aviv Jerusalem road, where police park a laser camera near the turnoff to Beit Shemesh, catch drivers above the limit, issue steep fines, and sometimes suspend licenses, even though the lane does not pass near homes and does not threaten anyone. He said this approach reflects Transportation Ministry research and conclusions.

Asked whether low speed limits are only dangerous in residential areas, Orang said the opposite is true on modern roads and with modern vehicles. He argued that slow driving distracts motorists, while faster driving keeps them focused, and that low limits create traffic jams that increase irritation. He added that ministry studies presented in the Knesset support that view, so, he said, this is not a populist decision. Still, he said drivers who use a phone while driving should face harsher penalties. As another example, he said Begin Road in Jerusalem is treated in court as an urban road despite having three lanes in each direction, and he sees no reason its limit should not rise to 100 km/h or even 110 km/h.