(live here) – Nine people have been killed in road accidents in Haifa since the beginning of 2025, including three motorcyclists and scooter riders. About 200 additional injuries were reported during this period, 30 of them seriously – data indicating a sharp and alarming spike in the volume of accidents in the city. On the ground, however, enforcement is almost nonexistent, and the roads remain deserted.
The phenomenon of reckless driving by two-wheeled riders, especially couriers on motorcycles and scooters, is getting worse on the streets of Haifa.
Almost everyone who lives and travels in the city encounters a worrying phenomenon: wild riding that completely disregards traffic laws – motorcycles that zigzag between vehicles, overtake on the right, cut through intersections, speed on sidewalks, cross crosswalks at the risk of pedestrians, and ride as if the road belongs only to them.
The inevitable result: more and more accidents – some of them fatal.
Alarming data: Half of 2025 has already surpassed 2024 in the number of deaths
According to data from the "Or Yarok" association, from the beginning of 2025 (until the end of April), nine people were killed in traffic accidents in Haifa – a number that already exceeds the total number of deaths in 2024, in which seven people were killed.
Among the fatalities this year: four pedestrians, three motorcycle and scooter riders, one private car driver and a passenger in another vehicle.
The data also indicates a sectoral distribution:
Four of the dead are Jews, three are from Arab society, and two are defined as "other" - tourists or foreign workers. Furthermore, by the end of April 2025, about 200 people had been injured in traffic accidents in the city, 30 of them seriously - figures that indicate a clear trend of worsening conditions, with another six months still ahead of us.
Lack of deterrence and enforcement: The feeling – there are no police
Despite the alarming increase in the number of injuries and deaths, many residents report that they hardly see any police presence on the roads or streets of the city. The prevailing feeling: no enforcement, no supervision, and no deterrence.
"They drive on sidewalks, cut between vehicles, do whatever they want and no one stops them," says a city resident.
"Only when a disaster happens – do you hear about it on the news. But in reality, accidents happen every day, every hour. They just don't all end in evacuation to a hospital."
Motorcycles are an efficient means of transportation, especially in a mountainous city like Haifa, but the careless driving of some riders makes them a real safety hazard.
When it comes to couriers who rush from shipment to shipment and are under impossible time pressure – the law and safety are pushed aside.
Why are the authorities silent?
Against the backdrop of these alarming figures, the question arises: Why is there no appropriate response from law enforcement authorities? Why are police not stationed at sensitive intersections, or are proactive enforcement operations being conducted against life-threatening offenses by motorcyclists?
The numbers don't lie: Haifa is on a continuous worsening trend when it comes to road accidents, and two-wheeled riders are a major player in these statistics. If there is no sharp, ongoing, and deterrent enforcement, there is no doubt that the numbers will continue to rise. The question is not whether another accident will occur, but when – and whether we can prevent the next victim.
A dangerous gap between law and reality
It is important to note that the driving laws for motorcyclists in Israel are largely similar to the driving laws for private vehicles, with unique emphases: the obligation to wear a standard helmet, a valid driver's license, and a safety inspection of the motorcycle.
However, between the written laws and the reality on Haifa's roads, there is a real chasm.
No response was provided by the police.
There is no room at all for motorcycles on Israel's narrow roads.
The state should ban motorcycle driving in Israel.