There has been a steep decline in road fatalities since the beginning of the year, compared to the same period last year, according to the Israel Police.
From January to October of 2011, 326 people were reported killed in road accidents in Israel; the January-October 2012 period saw 227 reported fatalities.
Two years ago, when taking office, Major General Bruno Stein, head of the Israel Police's traffic division, declared a revolution in the way the division would fight traffic accidents. In particular, Stein instructed police to focus on reducing fatalities and traffic violations with potentially lethal results.
Stein has since embarked on a series of major steps. For example, while in the past some 700 kilometers of Israeli highways had been defined as "red roads," or roads with particularly high fatality rates, Stein has since cut that down to 300 kilometers and instructed police to concentrate their efforts there. Each such roadway has been assigned a regional commander who comes under periodic review on the basis of the number of fatalities on those roads. Commanders who don't reduce the number of deaths in their areas and don't demonstrate efficient enforcement are required to submit reports to their supervising officers.
One of the primary violations being targeted by the traffic division is drunk driving. In 2012, more than 2,500 cars were taken off the roads after drivers were determined to be operating their vehicles under the influence of alcohol. In previous years, only a few dozen cars a year had been impounded for the offense.
In addition, reforms were instituted in the traffic court system. Any driver charged with a particular type of traffic violation is now brought to court within a few days and indicted. These reforms have been particularly effective in deterring drivers with previous convictions.
The traffic division has also compiled a list of habitual traffic offenders, who are followed by covert units. Many habitual offenders were taken off the roads in 2012 for periods lasting several years.
Similarly, Stein increased the number of motorcycle patrols in the traffic division, based on the notion that cops on motorbikes have a greater effect on drivers than cops in cars.
One of the factors responsible for the steep drop in fatalities this year is the decline in Arab neighborhoods. Until 2011, the number of road fatalities in Arab neighborhoods amounted to 40 percent of the total number of deadly car accidents. This year, however, the number of deaths in Arab areas dropped to about 30 percent of the total.
This decline in traffic fatalities in the Arab sector is partly the result of a demand by Arab leaders that police patrol Arab cities and towns and enforce the law there. Many residents of Arab neighborhoods long ago appeared to lose their patience with reckless drivers who exploited the fact that police didn't operate in Arab centers.
Until this year, most of the enforcement took place at major intersections, but in 2012 police have been active inside the cities as well.
Last weekend, three people lost their lives in traffic accidents, and the number of traffic fatalities is still a matter of concern. Nonetheless, the traffic division says that, to date, it is pleased with the data.
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