Israel Ranks Near Bottom of European Road Safety Index as Serious Injuries Surge 27%
A new European Transport Safety Council report ranks Israel 27th out of 29 countries, showing a 27% spike in serious road injuries over a decade while Europe saw a 12.4% decline.
A new report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) places Israel near the bottom of its safety index, ranking 27th out of 29 countries in the relative change of seriously injured road accident victims between 2015 and 2025.
The gap between Israel and European nations is particularly stark. While European countries recorded an average annual decrease of 12.4% in the number of seriously injured victims over the past decade, Israel experienced an opposite trend, with a sharp increase of 27%. According to Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) data published by the Or Yarok Association for Safer Driving, 2025 was the second-worst year of the decade, with 2,761 people seriously injured—averaging nearly eight serious injuries every day. The worst year on record was 2024, with 2,808 seriously injured victims.
Urban Breakdown of Road Casualties
Tel Aviv-Yafo leads the list of Israel's most dangerous cities. Over the past decade (2016–2025), 2,010 people were seriously injured in the city. In 2025 alone, 202 people suffered serious injuries in Tel Aviv, representing a 5% increase compared to the previous year.
Jerusalem followed with 165 seriously injured victims in 2025, which actually marked a 28% decrease from 2024. Haifa ranked third with 76 serious injuries. Other cities showing notable increases in serious injuries in 2025 include Petah Tikva with 67 victims (a 22% spike) and Ramat Gan with 59 victims (a 9% increase).
Calls for Government Action
Advocate Yaniv Yaakov, CEO of the Or Yarok Association, sharply criticized the government's handling of the crisis:
"Road accidents are a national plague. Israel is at the bottom of the rankings with terrible figures that indicate a major failure by the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety. The multi-year national plan has been waiting on the Minister of Transport's desk for a long time, and any delay in its implementation exposes all of us to danger on the roads. It is time to change priorities and put saving lives first."
