A total of 358 people were killed in 336 fatal road accidents in Israel last year, the National Road Safety Administration reports.
That compares with an average of 340 such deaths in 313 fatal accidents for the years 2020 to 2022.
The 2023 count is about 2% higher than last year’s and 5% higher than the average for the years 2020-22. However, that was during the COVID-19 crisis shutdowns, so fewer people were on the roads.
One hundred pedestrians were killed in 2023, an increase of about 4% compared to the average for 2020-22. Pedestrians comprised 28% of those killed, while 30% were traveling in private cars and 21% rode on motorcycles or scooters.
In fatal accidents involving a vehicle classified as “heavy,” 116 people were killed, compared to 129 deaths on average for the years 2020-22. On urban roads, there was a 12% increase in the number of fatalities compared to the average for 2020-22.
In 2023, 26 electric bicycle riders, nine ordinary bicycle riders and two electric scooter riders were killed. There was a 70% increase in the number of fatalities on electric bicycles.
Men were 79% of all those killed in road accidents compared to 20% of women (1% additional unknown). In 2023, the deadliest month was June, when 39 people were killed; the deadliest day of the week was Sunday; and the deadliest hours of the day were 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Not giving the right of way to a pedestrian was the most common offense (17%) found to be the cause of a serious accident, followed by disobeying a traffic light (14%), crossing lanes (10%) and speeding (10%).
