Israel's Road Fatalities Reach 17-Year High in 2024

Israel witnessed its highest number of road accident fatalities in 17 years, with 439 deaths in 2024, marking a 21.6% increase from 2023. Despite a decline in overall accidents and casualties, December 2024 saw a notable rise in fatalities compared to previous years.

In a concerning development, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics revealed that traffic accident fatalities reached a 17-year high in 2024. The year recorded 439 deaths, a significant 21.6% increase from the 361 fatalities reported in 2023. This represents a worrying trend in road safety within the country.

The number of fatal accidents in 2024 also saw an alarming rise, with 405 incidents marking a 19.8% increase over the previous year. Compared to the average of 314 fatal accidents reported annually between 2020 and 2022, this signifies a substantial uptick of 29%.

Interestingly, while the overall number of road accidents with casualties decreased by 7.4% compared to 2023, the fatalities continued to rise. December 2024 alone witnessed 924 casualties across 537 road accidents, resulting in 45 deaths. This figure shows a notable increase over December averages from previous years, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures.

(With inputs from agencies.)