(haipo) The summer holidays, which are supposed to be a time of recreation, games, and family travel, are becoming the most dangerous time for children on the roads every year. According to data from the Or Yarok Association based on the Central Bureau of Statistics, Haifa, Acre, and Hadera are the cities where children are at the highest risk of being injured in road accidents during the summer months. Alongside the dire data, the association is calling on the Ministry of Transportation and mayors to act urgently to improve safety in children's environments.
Summer tragedies and disturbing figures for 2026
On July 17, 2026, Omar Shadi Azzam, 10, was killed by an electric scooter in the town of Maysar in the Menashe Regional Council. His death joins 31 children under the age of 14 who have been killed in road accidents since the beginning of the year, six of them just since the start of the summer holidays.
Attorney Yaniv Yaakov, CEO of the Or Yarok Association, brilliant: "The summer holidays are a time when the risk of children being injured in a car accident is highest. Children will always behave like children, so instead of placing the responsibility on them, we should make sure that their environment is safe and forgiving of mistakes."
The most dangerous cities for children in the summer: Haifa tops the list
According to an analysis of CBS data for the years 2021–2025, the months of June–August are the period in which the highest number of children are injured in road accidents. Or Yarok examined the rate of children injured per thousand children in cities with over 50 residents:
- Haifa – First place: 0.27 children are injured per thousand children per year, An average of 16 children are injured each summer.
- Acre – Second Place: 0.25 children are injured per thousand children, An average of 3 children are injured each summer.
- Hadera – Third place: 0.209 children are injured per thousand children, An average of 5 children are injured each summer.
- Ashkelon – Fourth place: 0.207 children are injured per thousand children, An average of 8 children are injured each summer.
- Petah Tikva – Fifth Place: 0.205 children are injured per thousand children, An average of 13 children are injured each summer.
Attorney Yaniv Yaakov calls on the Ministry of Transportation and the mayors to act immediately and emphasizes the need for
- Speed recession Near educational institutions and parks
- Raising crosswalks and speed bumps
- Increased enforcement In the afternoon
- Safety training For children before and during the summer holidays
According to him, "If they don't wake up and realize that we are in an emergency, we could reach 50 children killed in traffic accidents by the end of the year, a figure we haven't seen in 20 years."
Summary
The new data presents a worrying picture: children in Israel are at high risk of being injured in traffic accidents precisely during the period when they spend the most time outdoors. Haifa leads the list, but the responsibility for change lies with all authorities and the state.
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No connection to speed recession
There is a connection to the high number of passengers with a revoked license, with vehicles that are not in good condition, and with very aggressive driving in urban areas.
There is no traffic police in Haifa and it is noticeable. Criminal passengers that any traffic police car would take off the road if it were there.
What is needed are visible and hidden traffic police vehicles to remove the troublemakers from the roads in Haifa.