30,000 people were killed in road accidents in Israel since 1948, a number that is greater by 6,000 than the total number of people killed in Israel's wars.
The number of people killed in the first eight months of 2008 is higher by six percent than the number killed in the same months last year.
A non-profit traffic safety advocacy group called Green Light held a news conference Wednesday which it termed "urgent" following the slashing of NIS 200 million from the road safety budget. The cutbacks will force the police to fire hundreds of police officers and take 117 police vehicles off the roads. In addition, breath analyser tests for blood alcohol content and childen's road safety watches will have to be discontinued, the group said.
According to Shmuel Abuhav, the Director of Green Light, Israel was found to be in the first place out of 24 countries studied, in the proportion of children killed in traffic accidents. 
"We have raised our hands and given up in the struggle against road accidents."
Avi Naor, the group's chairman, criticized Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz for not initiating a serious discussion on the subject. "The Transport Minister did not explain the meaning of the budget cut to the government," he complained. No one understands that once again, we have raised our hands and given up in the struggle against road accidents. Why don't we have a multi-year plan like any other enlightened country?"
Four Injured in Samaria Accident
Four people were injured in a traffic collision in Samaria Wednesday between a vehicle that was carrying Jews and another that was carrying Arabs. The accident occurred near northern Ma'aleh Levonah.
The Jewish victims suffered serious and moderate injuries, respectively. The Arab casualties were lightly wounded.
The seriously wounded Jew was evacuated by helicopter and the second Jewish victim was taken by Magen David Adom ambulance to Beilinson Hospital. The Arabs were evacuated by the Red Crescent.