The Or Yarok (Green Light) Traffic Safety Association has released statistics showing that Arabs have nearly twice as many traffic fatalities and injuries as do Jews, proportionately.
Though the Arab sector comprises 20% of the total populace, the percentage of Arab traffic fatalities is approximately 36% - and the seriously wounded are some 40%.
Since the beginning of 2008, 13 children under the age of 4 have been killed in car accidents - among them 11 Arabs.
In towns with between 2,000 and 20,000 people, the difference between Arabs and Jews is very notable: Some 591,000 Jews live in these towns, with one traffic fatality, while 577,000 Arabs live in similar towns, with 15 deaths - including seven child pedestrians.
In two Arab towns - Yarcha and Jadida-Machar - a full 7% of the drivers were involved in traffic accidents.
Among the reasons cited for the disparity between the Arab and Jewish sectors: Dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, non-use of seatbelts, speeding, unsafe vehicles, unsafe pedestrian behavior, and low-level infrastructures.
Or Yarok is holding a day-long seminar today, Tuesday, dedicated to traffic saftey in the Arab sector. It is taking place at the Golden Crown Hotel in Nazareth, with the participation of Culture Minister Raleb Majadele, Nazareth Mayor Ramez Jerasi, and Or Yarok Chairman Avi Naor.
The Or Yarok association was founded in 1997 to "wage an uncompromising struggle against traffic accidents and emphasize the importance of community involvement in the struggle." The declared goal of the association is to decrease the number of casualties in traffic accidents and to affect a change in Israel's driving culture.