Israel Police Traffic Enforcement Unit Chief Assistant Commissioner Yaron Be’eri will be stepping down from his post, retiring from the force in response to mounting criticism over the increase in fatal and serious motor vehicle accidents. Be’eri will be leaving his post in November 2016.

The data shows a 11% increase in road deaths in 2015 as compared to 2014 and after the first half of 2016, there are no signs of improvement.

Be’eri has been under criticism for lacking experience in the post and while Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has been trying to increase the traffic enforcement unit’s budget, senior officials in Israel Police felt it would not assist Be’eri, who simply did not know how to run the unit.

The numbers speak for themselves as there were a total of 12,774 recorded accidents in 2015 of which 319 involved fatalities. This represents a 10% increase in accidents and an 11% increase in fatalities from the previous year.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)