Over the past few weeks in Israel, there has been a sharp increase in traffic accidents when compared to previous years. Bein Hazmanim in Israel starts after Tish’a B’Av and ended today – on Rosh Chodesh Elul.

Nine people were unfortunately killed and dozens of others were injured.

In Moshav Dalton, two brothers from Bnei Brak were hit by a car while riding their bicycles. The 12 year old brother was killed. The other brother sustained light to moderate injuries.

In Karmiel, a 3 year old was run over by a car. The driver fled the scene, but was later caught and apprehended.

In Ashkelon, a young boy was hit by a car in a hit and run accident.

Ten members of a family from Bnei Brak were injured in a collision near Kibbutz Dan while touring the Golan.

An avreich from Elad was riding a moped in Bet Shemesh and smashed into an illegally parked car. He was moderately wounded.

In a separate Bet Shemesh incident, a nine year old boy was hit by a car on Nachal Ayalon Street and sustained moderate injuries.

On Highway 38, by the Tel Azaka junction, seven people – six of them from one family – were severely injured in a collision.

In three separate incidents in Modiin Illit, 3 children were run over by various vehicles,  and were moderately to severely wounded.

A 15 year old crossing the street in Yerushalayim was very seriously injured after being hit by a bus.

On Route 4, a woman and a baby were hit by a car exiting Bnei Brak and were lightly wounded.

A teenage girl sustained very serious injuries after riding her bike into the security gate of Ohr Haganuz.

A 2 year old toddler was hit by a car in Bnei Brak on Rechov Miriam and was moderately wounded.

On Route 353 near Kibbutz Gat, a train slammed into a mini-bus, killing 7 and left more than a dozen injured.

A woman was hit by a cement truck in Yerushalyim and was moderately injured.

A yeshiva bochur crossing the street in Yerushalayim was seriously wounded after being hit by a bus.

The rest of  the country should perhaps learn from the city of Elad, where MDA and Ichud Hatzalah spearheaded a road safety campaign which produced positive results. The city noticed a  significant drop of casualties in road accidents this bein hazmanim.

(Feivel Katz – YWN Israel)