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Road Accidents Surge on Yom Kippur: 2025 Data and Safety Guidance
By Drooid · · How we work
2025 Accident Toll
Green Light, a road-safety organization that analyses Magen David Adom records, reported that 295 people were injured in road accidents on Yom Kippur 2025. The injuries occurred at an average rate of 12 per hour and involved bicycles, electric bicycles, electric scooters, roller skates, hoverboards and motor vehicles.
Decade-Long Trends and Notable Fatalities
Over the past ten Yom Kippur holidays, Green Light counted 2,472 injuries and six deaths. Two of those fatalities occurred in 2025. Earlier incidents that received media attention include the 2021 death of 12-year-old Barak Houri, struck while riding his bicycle on Route 4 near Givat Shmuel, and the 2019 killing of 8-year-old Itai Margi at the Jabotinsky Street–Namir Road intersection in Tel Aviv.
Safety Recommendations from Green Light
In advance of the holiday, Green Light issued a set of precautions aimed at riders of all ages:
- Reduce speed at intersections – even when regular traffic is minimal, ambulances, police cars and other vehicles may still be on the road.
- Verify visibility – riders should look both ways, ensure drivers can see them, and avoid assuming the streets are empty.
- Designate safe riding zones – parents are urged to keep children away from main thoroughfares and to establish familiar, low-traffic areas.
- Maintain equipment – infrequent riders should inspect gears, brakes, tires, lights and reflectors before use; repair shop wait times are expected to lengthen through the following Sunday.
- Use proper protective gear – helmets that fit securely, light-colored clothing, bicycle lights and reflectors for night riding, and knee/elbow pads for children.
- Observe legal age limits – Israeli law bars children under 16 from operating electric bicycles or electric scooters.
Implications for Riders and Policy
The data underscore that reduced traffic on Yom Kippur does not eliminate risk; vehicles continue to travel, sometimes at higher-than-usual speeds on routes such as Route 4 and Begin Road in Jerusalem. Green Light’s CEO, attorney Yaniv Yaakov, called for heightened public awareness and for the Transportation and Road Safety Ministry to promote targeted education about two-wheeled vehicle safety during the holiday.
The combination of historical injury figures and the organization’s detailed recommendations highlights a persistent safety gap that policymakers and families must address each year.