A deadly summer on the roads: grim data breaks a decade-long record for child fatalities
122 people were killed in traffic accidents between June and August—the highest figure in 22 years. Among the victims were 12 children under 14, a 50% increase compared to last year. August was the deadliest month of the year so far, with 44 fatalities.
The summer of 2026 ended with a grim record on Israel's roads: 122 people were killed in traffic accidents during June, July, and August, marking the highest number recorded for the summer months in 22 years. This data comes from an analysis by the Or Yarok organization, based on figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the National Road Safety Authority.
Compared to last summer, this represents a 4.2% increase in fatalities. In the summer of 2025, 117 people lost their lives on the roads. The data also indicates that this is the fourth consecutive year in which an increase in traffic fatalities has been recorded during the summer months.
August was the deadliest month since the beginning of the year. With 44 people killed in traffic accidents, August 2026 became the deadliest August on Israel's roads in 22 years. Since the start of 2026, 299 people have been killed on the roads, a decrease of only 4% compared to the same period last year.
Particularly distressing data was recorded regarding children. 12 children under the age of 14 were killed in traffic accidents during the three summer months, compared to eight in the summer of 2025. This 50% increase marks the deadliest summer for children in the last decade.
Advocate Yaniv Yaakov, CEO of the Or Yarok organization, stated:
"The failure of the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety and other bodies responsible for road fatalities is costing human lives. What else needs to happen for the State of Israel to implement a multi-year national plan that will lead to a reduction in traffic accidents, as is customary in advanced countries? Negative records are being broken, yet the Minister of Transport and Road Safety does not see fit to approve the national plan that has been waiting on her desk throughout her entire term."
He added: "We all deserve a different reality where our roads are a safe place, and this will only happen when the State of Israel acts according to an orderly national plan. Such a plan will return Israel to a path of reducing fatalities and will save many families from sorrow and pain."
