·        Driver Involvement in Road Crashes in Israel

·        Vehicle Involvement in Road Crashes in Israel

·        Road Casualties in Israel

·        Road Crashes 2004

Driver Involvement in Road Crashes in Israel

Driver age is one of the variables most influencing the rate of involvement in fatal and serious crashes.  Young drivers are more involved in crashes, not only due to their driving inexperience but also due to their driving attitude.  In 2004, the ratio of drivers up to age 18 who were involved in fatal and serious crashes was 29 per 10000 drivers[1]; for ages 19 – 24 the ratio dropped to 17:10000, and continued to drop with age to 9.1:10000 for the 55 – 64 age group.  Among elderly drivers in the over-65 age group, there is a rise in the rate of crash involvement, despite the drop in vehicle travel, which may be contributed to a decline in personal skills and faculties.

Driving experience is another major factor influencing crash involvement.  The rate of driver involvement in fatal and serious crashes clearly decreases with experience.  Drivers with over one year and under two years’ experience are involved in fatal and serious crashes at a rate almost 60% higher than drivers with ten or more years of experience.

It should be noted that the data in the accompanying table (showing the involvement rate of drivers with up to one year’s experience) includes drivers holding licences for from one day up to a year-less-one-day.  Assuming that the day of receipt of the licence is split evenly throughout the year, the number of crashes by these drivers in 2004 represents an average exposure (actual driving) of only half a year.  Therefore, to calculate proportion concordance, the given values should be doubled in order to compare the rate of involvement with that of other driver groups.

Another factor adding gravity to the significance of the prevalence of young driver involvement, is their low annual travel (number of vehicle-kilometers) compared to more experienced drivers.

Traffic Offences as Causative Factors in Crashes

Among the 671 drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2004, 348 (52%) were found to have committed a traffic offence at the time of the crash.  Among 3,091 drivers involved in serious crashes, 1,648 (53%) had committed a traffic offence at the time of the crash.

In 2004, speeding was the most common cause of fatal crashes: 83 drivers were reported speeding, representing 24% of all drivers who caused fatal crashes (and were charged).

Veering off lane was also a prevalent traffic offence, with 56 drivers reported involved in fatal crashes.   It is believed that for many cases in which veering off lane was reported as the causative factor of a fatal crash, excessive speeding was likely to be the trigger factor, leading the driver to veer off lane and cause a crash, contributing to the severity of the resulting crash.

Excessive speed is also assumed to be a contributing factor in other traffic offences recorded as causing fatal crashes, including tailgating, running red lights and stop signs, failure to yield right-of-way, and illegal overtaking.  All of these are situations in which it is likely that excessive speed, for example, prevented the driver from braking before entering an intersection, or affected a decision to complete crossing an intersection for fear of not being able to brake in time.

Information at hand regarding the involvement in fatal crashes of drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs was unfortunately lacking and inaccurate.  Although annual reports showed a relatively small number of fatal crashes caused by drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs, in our estimation, there were many cases that went unreported.  Still, the rate of fatal crashes involving alcohol was in the order of only 3%.

Young driver involvement in fatal and serious crashes is connected to their high rate of traffic offences, far above that of older drivers.  For example, in 2004, 65% of fatal crashes involving young drivers (aged up to 24 years) were caused by traffic offences, compared with 47% in the 25-64 age group.

The incidence of excessive speed as the causative factor in fatal and serious crashes was higher among young drivers compared to older drivers.  Excessive speed was reported as the causative factor in 45% of all serious crashes involving young drivers aged up to 18 years and in 24% involving drivers aged 19-24, compared with only 8% involving drivers aged 25-64.

Enforcing Traffic Regulations

The authorities responsible for enforcing traffic law in Israel are the Israel Police and the Traffic Courts.

In 2003, Traffic Courts opened 165,000 files and closed 170,000.  By the end of 2004, some 29,000 files were still under review.  On average, a period of up to three months is required until a file is closed, although in cases concerning fatalities the process could take a number of years.

During 2003, the Traffic Courts handled 104 cases of vehicular manslaughter, 15,000 cases of traffic accidents with casualties, and 47,000 of traffic offences while driving.

Israel Police issued some 1.5 million traffic penalty notices:  the most common being for speeding (22%) and not wearing safety belts (17%).  In our opinion the Police are correct in regarding these two offences with severity, as both offences rate high as causes of traffic accidents and casualties.  It can only be regretted that the Israel Police do not have the tools to carry out efficient enforcement against other dangerous traffic offences, such as overtaking on a solid white line or hazardous overtaking on a busy road.    

Vehicle Involvement in Road Crashes in Israel

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2.04 million motor vehicles were registered in Israel by the end of 2004, compared with 1.98 million at the end of 2003.  It should be noted that the 2.4% increase in vehicles registered in 2004, although higher than that of 2003, is still much lower compared to the annual average increase of 6.5% shown for the years 1990-2001.

Vehicle kilometers traveled increased between 2003-2004 by slightly over 1%, compared with an average annual growth of 7.3% over the previous ten years.  These two indices – the growth in the number of motor vehicles and in kilometers traveled – have an influence on the number of road crashes.

428 fatal crashes occurred in 2004, involving 671 vehicles of various types.  Among the fatal crashes, 161 involved moving vehicles (409 vehicles); 262 crashes involved single vehicles or pedestrians.

At the end of 2004, 1.57 million passenger cars were registered in Israel, constituting 77% of all motor vehicles and 62% of all vehicle-kilometers traveled.  The ratio of involvement of passenger cars in fatal crashes was 0.23:1000 vehicles[2] (i.e., there was a 0.023% probability that a passenger car would be involved in a fatal crash by the end of the year).  In 2004, the ratio of involvement of passenger cars in serious crashes was 1.1:1000.

Commercial vehicles up to 4 tonnes numbered 299,000 by the end of 2004.  The rate of involvement of this vehicle group in road crashes was 60% higher than that of passenger cars, although when taking into account their greater number of kilometers travelled in relation to passenger cars, their rate of crash involvement is comparable to that of passenger cars.

Most disturbing is the involvement of trucks and buses in fatal crashes, both in absolute numbers and in the anticipated rate of involvement of professional drivers.  At the end of 2004, there were 45,000 trucks over 4 tonnes and 11,000 buses on Israel’s roads.  The rate of involvement of trucks and buses in fatal and serious crashes was by far higher than that of any other vehicle group.  The ratio of involvement of trucks weighing 4-34 tonnes was 0.86:1000 for 2004, namely 4 times higher than that of passenger cars.  The most marked ratio was the involvement of heavy trucks (over 34 tonnes), which in 2004 stood at 11:1000 fatal crashes – 48 times that of passenger cars (!) and higher by 50% than the ratio for 2003. 

Buses were involved in fatal crashes at a ratio of 2.2:1000, higher than that of 2003 (1.8) and inexcusable when taking into account that bus drivers are professional drivers transporting passengers. 

Monitoring Vehicle Roadworthiness

The technical factor represents the lowest value among the major causes of fatal crashes.  The roadworthiness of vehicles on Israel’s roads is systematically (though sparsely) inspected by mobile testing units operated by the Ministry of Transport.  In 2004, these units tested 19,800 passenger cars (a sample of 1.3%); 20,900 commercial vehicles and trucks (6.1%); and 2,550 buses (9.2%).

These inspections found 0.2% - 0.5% vehicles with serious degrees of deficiencies that posed immediate crash risks.  A very high percentage of vehicles - 17% passenger cars, and 21% trucks and commercial vehicles - were found to have deficiencies requiring repair.  39% passenger cars and 27% trucks and commercial vehicles were found to be fully roadworthy.

Controlling Truck Overloading

One of the inspections carried out by Ministry of Transport mobile testing units and which has significant impact on road safety, is that of truck overloading.  Of 32,000 truck weighings carried out by Vehicle Department mobile units during 2004, 0.4% trucks were carrying an overload of 25% above the weight limit – similar to that of the previous year.  Most prevalent was minor overloading.  5% of trucks checked were transporting loads exceeding the weight limit by 5% or more. 

Road Casualties in Israel

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In 2004 there were 480 fatalities within the "Green Line" – a rise of 6% compared with 2003.  It should be noted that 2003 showed the lowest number of fatalities.   Over half the fatalities (55%) were vehicle occupants, 36% were pedestrians and 11% riders of a two-wheeled vehicle or bicycle.

The annual numbers for crash fatalities in recent years are characterized by their fluctuation, and do not point to any apparent trend.  The number of seriously injured[3] in investigated road crashes in 2004 was similar to that of 2003.  It is difficult to attribute significance to this data, as we are aware of the difficulties of uniformity in recording the seriously injured in road crash files.

The probability of a road user in Israel being a casualty in a (reported) road crash was 5.4 per 1000 persons, of which 0.07:1000 were fatalities and 0.36:1000 seriously injured.  Taking into account that in Israel the average household has 5 members, the likelihood of a household member being injured in a road crash is 1.8%!

The age group with the highest ratio of road casualties is that of young adults aged 20-24.  The casualty rate of this group (per thousand) is 0.13 fatalities and 0.67 seriously injured, compared with an average of 0.07 fatalities and 0.36 seriously injured for the whole population.  The main cause for this was their prominent involvement in crashes as vehicle drivers and passengers – far above the average of other age groups. 

In comparison, among pedestrians the highest at-risk age group is the over-65’s.  Whereas the probability of a pedestrian being injured in a road crash in all other age groups was 0.14:1000, the over-65’s rate climbed to 0.41:1000, with the probability of pedestrian fatality at 0.09:1000 (an average of 0.03 for other age groups) and reached 0.32:1000 for the seriously injured (compared to an average of 0.11 for other age groups).

Urban road crashes – 190 people were killed on urban roads, an almost identical number to that of 2003 and continuing the downward trend registered over the last five years.  Among urban crash fatalities, 64% were pedestrians, and 7% riders of two-wheeled vehicles and bicycles.  In other words, 70% were vulnerable road users unshielded by a closed vehicle.

Vulnerable road users comprise three-quarters of crash fatalities.  The structure of a closed vehicle is sufficient to protect a vehicle's occupants when traveling at the relatively low speeds in urban areas, but these relatively low speeds are fast enough to fatally injure vulnerable road users.  In urban areas the most likely places for vulnerable road user fatalities are the main traffic arteries in the larger cities.  One of the reasons for the high statistic is the high ratio of vulnerable elderly involved – above that of countries with high levels of motorization.

Interurban road crashes –290 people were killed – 30 more than in 2003 (an increase of 12%), with a marked increase in the number of fatalities among vehicle occupants, from 69 – 96 (an increase of 39%).  In 2003 there had been a marked decrease in the number of vehicle occupant fatalities.  We would like to be able to contribute this result to the increased use of seatbelts, but pertinent information on which to base this assumption is lacking, and moreover, the number of vehicle occupant fatalities rose again in 2004.

Furthermore, there has been a 20% rise in the number of pedestrians killed on interurban roads.  The largest group of casualties on interurban roads is that of occupants of speeding vehicles, where the vehicle structure is often unable to provide adequate protection.

Time Trends in Crash Casualties

By months:  There had been a wide variance in the monthly number of crash fatalities – from 22 (April 1999) to 66 (August 1998).  Analysis of crash findings by month shows July and August as tending towards a higher rate than the monthly average; February, March and April tend towards a lower rate than the monthly average.

Despite the weather (rain, poor visibility, shorter daylight hours), the average fatality rate during winter months is lower than that of summer months, with the exception of December, which is slightly higher.

An analysis of 2004 demonstrates the unpredictability of the monthly data:  May had the highest number of monthly fatalities for 2004, despite showing the lowest monthly average for the previous five years.

By days of week:  Sundays showed a significantly higher road crash fatality rate than other days of the week.  This could be explained by the greater number of vehicle kilometers traveled on Sundays.  Thursdays also showed a high fatality rate, bordering on the significant.  On the other hand, Saturdays and holiday eves showed a low fatality rate compared to the rest of the week.

By hour of day:  On urban roads there was a pronounced, almost record rise in crash casualties during the evening peak hours 17:00-19:00, the hours workers return home, far more than during morning peak hours when they are on their way to work.

Interurban roads also registered a record rise in the number of crash casualties during afternoon hours, though less extreme than urban roads.

Another noteworthy finding was the relative increase in casualties during the small hours of the morning, both on urban and interurban roads, despite low traffic volumes.  We know that during these hours the number of youth is proportionately higher.  (An analysis of the casualty rate by hour should also take into account the vehicle kilometers traveled rate for that hour, but unfortunately these data are unavailable).

Safety Belts

Safety belts and child restraints have proven to be among the most effective means of reducing the severity of crash injuries.  Accordingly, over the past few years the National Road Safety Authority has been waging media campaigns to encourage seatbelt use. The NRSA keeps track of seatbelt use by carrying out periodic surveys. 

Survey findings show that the rate of seatbelt use in front seats is 85%-90% - very high when compared with other progressive countries.  On the other hand, the rate of seatbelt use in rear seats, despite a steady continuous rise, is far lower and stands at 40%.

It should be noted that according to reported crash casualty rates, it is estimated that had all passengers and drivers involved in crashes in 2004 been wearing seatbelts, at least 30 lives would have been saved.

Road Crashes 2004

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The vast majority of Israel’s road crashes occur on urban roads.  Of some 18,000 road crashes investigated annually over previous years, 73% took place on urban roads and 27% on interurban roads.  Conversely, crashes on urban roads were less severe than on interurban roads, due mainly to lower speeds:  of the 428 fatal road crashes reported in 2004, 41% took place on urban roads. 

Urban Road Crashes

It must be noted that the past six years have seen a downward trend in the number of fatal crashes on urban roads.  The most marked decrease can be seen in crashes involving moving vehicles.  This decrease can be attributed to the drastic changes in urban areas in the use of traffic calming measures, such as an increased number of traffic circles, regulation of intersections, and the growing utilization of traffic speed humps.

The most common type of crash that occurred on urban roads was the side-impact collision, typical to intersections.  However, low speeds, as well as on-going improvements in passive safety features in vehicles, all contributed to the relatively low number of fatalities in this type of collision.

Although pedestrian crashes made up only 19% of all urban road crashes, they account for 62% of fatal crashes on urban roads.  Urban roads provide passage for a diversity of vehicles and pedestrians, and countless scenes of road use conflict.  Vulnerability was, obviously, the reason that 4.7% of all crashes involving pedestrians were fatal (and 25% serious[4]), compared to only 0.6% of all other types of crashes (6.3% of them serious).

Analysis of the location of pedestrian fatalities showed that 25% of fatal crashes involved pedestrians walking either on the road or along the shoulder and not attempting to cross the road.  One-third of fatalities occurred while crossing a road (not at an intersection).  Although a relatively small number of fatalities occurred at marked pedestrian crosswalks (including signalized crosswalks), it is absolutely intolerable that pedestrians are killed while crossing at regulated pedestrian crosswalks specifically designed for their protection.

Interurban Road Crashes

As noted above, interurban road crashes showed a far higher fatality rate than urban crashes.  5.3% of the crashes investigated on interurban roads were fatal (compared to 1.4% on urban roads), and 14.2% were serious (compared to 9.9% on urban roads, including pedestrians).

The annual numbers for fatal crashes on interurban roads are characterized by their distinctiveness.   In 2004 there was a rise in fatal crashes compared to 2003.  This rise came in the wake of two years' decline, returning the number of fatal crashes to the average of the previous 9 years.

One-quarter of fatal road crashes occurring on interurban roads involved single vehicles (collision with a fixed object, with a stationary vehicle, or skidding and overturning).  Driver behavior was, without doubt, the decisive factor in this type of crash.  Furthermore it is estimated that speeding without regard to road conditions, is one of the major causes of vehicle control loss on interurban roads. 

Causes of Road Crashes

Causes of road crashes are reported by the Crash Investigators of the Israel Police[5].  According to police data, the human factor is the main contributor to road crashes:  traffic offences, negligence and driver/pedestrian error. 

Speeding was one of the main causes of fatal crashes.  Excessive speed accounted for the causes of 15% of fatal crashes in 2004; traffic offences (disobeying traffic signs and signals, failing to yield right-of-way, tailgating, illegal overtaking) accounted for 23%; veering off road accounted for 13% of the causes.

Another common cause was pedestrian behavior, which accounted for 16% of fatal crashes (namely, pedestrians were at fault in 40% of all fatal crashes involving pedestrians).

Road conditions and technical reasons accounted for less than 1% of all fatal road crashes, although our assessment is that there is a lack in reporting these causes.

Train Crashes

In recent years we have been witness to a marked increase in train crashes.  Therefore, to our regret, we must also include in our account those fatal and serious crashes involving trains.

The years 2001-2003 had an average of 15 fatal crashes per year, in which 7-10 pedestrians on the tracks were killed annually, the remaining fatalities being vehicle occupants.  In 2004 there were 3 fatal crashes involving trains, in which 3 pedestrians were killed.

2005 saw Israel's first train crash with passenger fatalities, as a result of derailment.