It is a home-made problem and should not be surprising. But first, the facts: The Special Committee for the Rights of the Child, chaired by MK Eli Dallal (Likud), convened on Monday to discuss road safety for children.
Donate
Make an independent pro Israel Blog possible. Donate 1.8 US-Dollar.
$1.80
According to a study conducted by the ‘Knesset Research and Information Center’, based on figures provided by ‘Beterem – Safe Kids Israel’, 57 children and teenagers were killed in road accidents from November 2023 to October 2024, including 26 pedestrians and 15 passengers.
Road accidents constitute 51% of all incidents in which children are either injured or killed. The most vulnerable population group is toddlers aged 0-4, who constitute 51% of all the children who were either injured or killed; 34% of the children who were either injured or killed were aged 10-14, while 14% were aged 5-9. The most dangerous hour for children, as far as road accidents are concerned, is 2 PM, and then 5 PM.
The discussion in the committee is a disgrace. People were quick to blame the parents and to make schools responsible for better-preparing children for the dangers of the road. Yes, there can be more money for this, but it is pointless.
But the real reasons were not addressed. These are:
1. No traffic controls. Example: turn signals. Anyone who changes direction without using their turn signals must be severely punished. In Israel, you can see driving school cars, police, fire brigade and rescue services that rarely use their turn signals and do not know that you have to use your turn signals when leaving a roundabout. This is one example of many. The lack of traffic controls has led to a state of anarchy and lawlessness on Israel’s roads.
2. Miserable Streets. The roads in Israel are in such bad condition that they pose a risk of accidents. You have to avoid dangerous potholes, which come at the expense of the weakest road users. 3. Too many vehicles are obviously no longer roadworthy, which leads to dangerous situations.
Facts extracted from the press release of the Knesset (25.11.2024)