11-year old driver
11-year old driverCourtesy of Israeli Police

Northern District police operating in the Israeli Arab town of Kfar Kana spotted a young boy behind the wheel of car attempting to park the vehicle – with his father’s encouragement.

Police say the officers found the man directing his son as he tried to park the car. When they inquired as to the reasoning behind this strange – and illegal – arrangement, the man said that when he had attempted to park the car himself, his son was unable to help direct him. Therefore, he continued, they switched places, with the son steering the car while the father stepped out of the vehicle to direct his 11-year old son.

“He’s just parking the car,” claimed the father. “Why are you making a big deal of this?’

Despite his pleas, police detained the father, a 37-year old resident of Kfar Kana, for questioning. Police also impounded the man’s car.

“Israeli Police continue to work to reach out to and enforce [laws] in the Arab community in order to bring about a change in the driving culture, with the goal of saving lives and improve public safety,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.

Israeli Arabs have significantly more traffic accidents that Jewish Israelis. A government sponsored study published in February 2016 showed that approximately 35% of traffic fatalities are Arabs.