Tel Aviv roads most dangerous for senior citizens in Israel
A report by Israeli NGO Or Yarok sheds light on the average number of traffic injuries and fatalities to senior citizens in various cities all over Israel; 'The people that built this country survived war, but not the roads.'
Data from NGO Or Yarok ("Green Light") that more elderly people are injured in road accidents relative to population in Tel Aviv than in any other city in the country. The data show that an average of 3.6 senior citizens per 1,000 residents are injured in road accidents.
The report refers to the number of senior citizens (defined as 65 years old and older) per 1,000 inhabitants that were injured during the recorded period of 2013-2015. This provides an average number of injuries every year in cities with over 50,000 inhabitants.
In second place after Tel Aviv comes Hadera (averaging 2.7), followed by Ashkelon (averaging 2.5), Holon (2.4), Bnei Barak, Kfar Saba, Petah Tikva and Ramat Gan, each of which average 2.3 injuries to the elderly.
Jerusalem, which is considered a fairly 'old' city, comes in at the 19th spot with 1.6, less than half the average of senior citizens injured in Tel Aviv. The data also show that only two Arab cities—Rahat and Nazareth— are listed in the top 30 most-dangerous cities for senior citizens.
Shmuel Aboav, CEO of Or Yarok, said, "It is dangerous to be an older person in Israel. The people that built this country survived war, but not the roads. A few simple steps can save lives. The Ministry of Transportation and local authorities must install speed bumps in areas with high concentrations of elderly citizens such as hospitals, nursing homes and day centers. They also need to increase the amount of time for green lights in order for citizens to cross the road safely."
In 2015, there was a 50% increase in the number of elderly fatalities in road accidents. In the past year, 101 elderly citizens were killed on roads, the highest number since 2003. Senior citizens account for 28% of fatalities, a number 2.5 times their proportion to the population. Since the beginning of 2016, 72 senior citizens have been killed in road accidents.
