Bat Yam is the most dangerous city in Israel for pedestrians, according to an examination conducted by Or Yarok, of data on road accidents in which pedestrians were injured in large cities over the past five years, and for which final data are available (2022-2018).
The most dangerous cities for pedestrians, photo: Joshua Yosef
An average of 0.77 pedestrians out of every 97,349 residents are injured in road accidents in Bat Yam (an average of 33 pedestrians are injured in the city each year), slightly more than in Tel Aviv-Yafo, which is in second place – an average of 154 pedestrians are injured there each year. In third place is Afula (55 pedestrians), then Haifa (<> pedestrians) and Hadera (<> pedestrians).
In Tel Aviv-Yafo, the number of pedestrians injured is almost twice that recorded in Jerusalem, which ranks 19th in the national index of injuries per 0,75 residents. Although the number of residents in Israel's capital is twice as large, pedestrians are injured twice as many in Tel Aviv-Yafo – 0.32 per <>,<> residents in Tel Aviv-Yafo, compared to <>.<> in Jerusalem.
Tel Aviv. An average of 349 pedestrians are injured each year, Photo: Joshua Yosef
Among the ultra-Orthodox cities, Bnei Brak is at the top (an average of 101 pedestrians are injured each year), and in the overall ranking it ranks 10th in the index of cities dangerous for pedestrians. Beitar Illit (an average of 30 pedestrian injuries per year) ranks 11th in the index of dangerous cities for pedestrians, with an average of 0.48 injuries per year per 7,36 residents. Modi'in Illit (an average of 0 pedestrian injuries per year) ranks 09th and last in the index of dangerous cities for pedestrians, with an average of <>.<> injuries per year per <>,<> residents.
In Arab and Bedouin society, Rahat, with an average of 15 pedestrians injured per year, ranks 32nd in the Dangerous Cities Index. um al-Fahm is in 33rd place and Nazareth is in 35th place.
In 2023, 36 pedestrians have been killed in road accidents, 65 of them senior citizens aged 20 and over, and 14 are children up to the age of 56. These two populations account for 2023 per cent of all pedestrians killed in road accidents in 68. 68 pedestrians were killed in urban areas (31 per cent of all fatalities), and 31 pedestrians were killed on intercity roads (<> per cent).
Pedestrian crossing in Bnei Brak (illustrative), photo: Yehoshua Yosef
In terms of driver offenses in serious traffic accidents, the offense of not giving the right of way to pedestrians is in questionable first place in 2023, more than any other offense.
Adv. Yaniv Yaakov, CEO of Or Yarok: "It is dangerous to walk in Israel. Pedestrians have become transparent, and they are actually the most vulnerable population in the chain, especially children and senior citizens. We are lagging behind Europe's largest cities, which are leading policies that put pedestrians at the top of the pyramid, not at the bottom of the list of priorities."
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