Report: Israel world's 2nd most dangerous country for pedestrians
National Road Safety Authority data shows 37% of road accident fatalities in Israel are of pedestrians, notes 14% rise in 2008 alone
Israel is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for pedestrians, a recent National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) report suggests.
According to NRSA's data, Israel is ranked second in the world as far as the number of pedestrians who are killed in vehicular accidents goes, with 37% of all road accident fatalities in the country being those of pedestrians. Topping the list is North Korea.
"We've seen a 14% rise in pedestrians fatalities since the beginning of 2008, as opposed to a drop in the number of drivers and passengers' fatalities," Yair Dori, head of the National Road Safety Authority, told Yedioth Ahronoth.
"We keep seeing people who cross the street in red lights or outside a crosswalk, because many of them seem to think that the drivers' are the ones solely responsible for their safety, and that once they set foot on the road, any driver who sees them will immediately hit the brakes.
"That is a false sense of security," added Dori, "as there is no guarantee that would happen. Even people who cross the streets in a legal fashion, must take the proper precautions."
Lior El-Chai and Israel Moshkovitz contributed to this report
