(haipo) 101 senior citizens were killed in road accidents in Israel in 2025, six more than in 2024. This is the highest figure since 2003. In Haifa, 97 senior citizens were injured last year, including one person who was killed and 18 who were seriously injured.
Senior citizens are 13% of the population – but 22% of the dead
On the occasion of International Senior Citizens' Day, observed on October 1, the Or Yarok Association analyzed the data on injuries to people aged 65 and over in road accidents in Israel, over the past year and over the past decade.
The data shows that senior citizens constitute 13.1% of the total population of Israel, but in 2025 they were 22% of all those killed in road accidents, a rate 68% higher than their share in the population.
In total, 21,746 senior citizens were injured in traffic accidents over the past decade. 818 of them were killed and 4,830 were seriously injured.
A negative record also in the number of seriously injured
It's not just the number of deaths that has reached a record high: in 2025, 554 senior citizens were seriously injured in traffic accidents – the highest figure since 2003.
This was the fifth consecutive year in which there was an increase in the number of senior citizens seriously injured in traffic accidents, a figure that indicates an ongoing trend and not an exceptional one-year event.
66 senior citizens killed on city roads
Urban roads continue to be a major scene of injury to the elderly population. In 2025, 66 senior citizens were killed on them, compared to 52 in 2024, an increase of 27% and the highest figure in the last decade.
That year, 1,299 senior citizens were injured on urban roads, 407 of whom were seriously injured.
The data highlights the importance of adapting urban space to the older population, and especially of safer planning around crosswalks, intersections, and streets where there is significant pedestrian traffic.
Haifa: 97 casualties in one year
In Haifa, 97 senior citizens, aged 65 and over, were injured in traffic accidents in 2025. One of them was killed and 18 were seriously injured.
In the past decade, between 2016 and 2025, 1,131 senior citizens were injured in traffic accidents in the city. 24 were killed and 231 were seriously injured.
For comparison, in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, 125 senior citizens were injured in 2025, including six deaths and 50 serious injuries. In the past decade, 1,893 senior citizens were injured in the city, including 54 deaths and 503 serious injuries. However, the figures in Tel Aviv-Jaffa are also affected by the fact that the city attracts many residents who come to it from other cities every day.
Senior citizens as a risk group on city roads
Senior citizens are a special risk group in urban traffic accidents. Physical limitations such as slower walking pace, impaired vision and hearing, and slower reaction times make the elderly population particularly vulnerable when crossing roads. Senior citizens are forced to deal with challenging road conditions, including heavy traffic, using walking sticks, and having difficulty crossing crosswalks in the allotted time.
"Senior citizens have become transparent"
Attorney Yaniv Yaakov, CEO of the Or Yarok Association, warns of the lack of a focused response to the elderly population:
"The senior citizens have become transparent. After such a deadly year, a record year, the Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety did not prepare an emergency plan to reduce their high level of injury and did not approve the multi-year national plan."
According to him, public space must be adapted to the needs of the elderly. "Senior citizens are a vulnerable population and must be addressed in a targeted manner, by moderating and curbing the speed of travel in areas where there is a high concentration of senior citizens, by raising crosswalks, lowering the curb, and extending the duration of the green light for pedestrians."
Adapted crosswalks can reduce risk
The Or Yarok Association notes that relatively simple adjustments can be made in urban areas, which will make it easier for senior citizens to cross the road safely.
Among other things, it is proposed to lower the sidewalk near crosswalks, clearly mark the sidewalk in the crossing area, place large, prominent signs, and adjust the duration of the traffic light to the slower crossing speed of older pedestrians.
Runners change quickly, and you can see adults who can't make it through the crosswalk, and who can't run.
Important data is missing.
How many of the dead were pedestrians?
How many of the dead were drivers?
Some…..were travelers and others….
Why are the figures for pedestrian fatalities grouped together with those of senior citizens killed in motor vehicle accidents?
😍It is mandatory to "extend crossing time" at a busy intersection/crossroads...!!! All over the city of "Haifa" and especially on the roads: "Maxim" intersection; "Carmel Center" and more...😭