Road carnage in Israel

July 12, 2009 - 10:32 AM by

The aftermath of Friday Beit Shemesh crash.

The aftermath of Friday's Beit Shemesh crash.

This carnage on the roads of Israel has to stop. The news over the weekend of a group of drunk Beit Shemesh youth barreling head on into a car driven by an older couple which left six dead is indicative of the level to which we have fallen.

All the jokes about Israelis learning how to drive from manning tanks in the army, or that Israelis drive fast because of the hectic pace of life here have worn thin over the years. The fact of it is that Israelis are horrible, reckless drivers – and I’m talking a mass generalization here of an estimated 50-70% of drivers, not a manageable sub-sector minority.

Three examples. There’s a stop sign near the bus stop on the street next to my house. While waiting for the bus, I play a game of counting how many drivers actually stop, or even pretent to take their foot off the gas. 50% stop and the other 50% slow down a bit, look around and continue right through the intersection.

Example two are Egged bus drivers. Riding a bus home two or three nights a week on five miles of downhill highway (partially through a tunnel), I’m amazed at the speeds which the drivers achieve. As far as I know the speed limit is 80 km (55 miles per hour) but, the norm for Egged’s finest is more like 110 km (80 mph). Whenever I’ve queried the drivers (when I’ve been brave enough to open my eyes), they just laugh it off and say “Don’t worry, we’re fine, I’m in perfect control. You want to get home quickly, don’t you?”

The last example is on the Jordan Valley road (Ghandi’s Road) which goes south to north from near Jericho to Beit Shean. It’s got some hairpin turns through the hilly region, and the road isn’t too great to begin with.

The two or three times a year I travel on it at night, I make sure to keep to the speed limit of 80 kmh. Every single car flashes me and passes me (some on the hairpin turns).

I may sound like a crotchety, old driver, but enough’s enough. And the trend of driving while drunk, which until a few years ago was not really a factor in Israel, is like giving terrorists extra ammunition.

As long as drivers in Israel feel invincible and behave like the road is their personal domain, then we’re taking our lives in our hands each time we turn the ignition key. And it’s not just one segment of the population, although a higher percentage of accidents involve men, young drivers, and Arab drivers. But it’s a problem that faces all of us, and it’s not going to go away until everyone takes responsibility for themselves.

Tags: , , , • Category: A New Reality, Crime, General, Israeliness, Life, Travel 

Comments

3 Comments on Road carnage in Israel

  1. David-Joe on Mon, Jul 13th 2009 2:31 AM

    2. The general disregard for rules that is considered so “cute” by people and supposedly an Israeli “characteristic” cannot be considered free of blame.

    Rules and regulations in a society are there because they structure consideration for others and the safety of people.

    Why should someone obey the rules of the road but ignore the rule against smoking in places? It is illogical.

  2. Peter on Wed, Jul 15th 2009 5:33 PM

    3. It bears mentioning that more Israelis have been killed on the roads than in 62 years of wars and attacks. The human and economic cost is staggering. It would not be too far off the mark to regard this as a form of domestic terror.

  3. Jessica Lieberman on Thu, Jul 16th 2009 7:09 PM

    4. As a frequent traveler to and lover of Israel as well as an intern for ASIRT (Association of Safe International Road Travel) I am deeply saddened by the news of this crash and the six lives lost as a result of the Friday night Beit Shemesh crash. At the same time I am frustrated and disturbed with the general situation of Israeli road safety or lack thereof. Unfortunately, this is not at all an isolated or uncommon occurrence. Instances of vehicular and pedestrian accidents in Israel are prevalent and affect all areas of society—the disastrous implications of accidents such as these are not limited to drivers and victims, but rather influence the families of those involved, tourists in the country and every single Israeli who becomes associated with the countries poor reputation for the safety of its citizens and visitors.
    As a general rule, the death rate from vehicular accidents in developed countries in on the decrease, while it is developing countries it is increasing. Israel is a technologically advanced, developed country in the Middle East however deaths from vehicular crashes continue to overwhelm society. The World Health Organization posits that the leading factors causing this phenomenon are drunk driving, speeding, lack of helmet and seatbelt use and poor infrastructure.
    I myself spent last summer traveling around Israel with a group of 60 Americans and a year later can distinctly recall discussions with peers as to the many accidents witnessed, damaged cars, reckless driving and failures to adhere to speed limits, road signs and pedestrian crossings. As a large group that crossed the street often over the course of our stay we playfully made t-shirts at the end of the summer reading “We Stop Traffic” however on a less humorous note, we did have a few encounters with vehicles narrowly missing members of our group and stopping short at intersections in the last moment despite our right of way.
    The urgency of this issue is evident—Israel must begin taking responsibility for the lives being lost all too frequently on the roads and take stronger steps.

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