The Central Bureau of Statistics reports that car accident fatalities across the country are down significantly this year, in comparison with recent years.
In addition to three deaths on roads in Judea and Samaria – areas that are not counted in the national totals – 18 people were killed in the rest of Israel in the month of March. Compared with the 33 dead last March, 48 the March before, and 40 in March 2006, this represents a 55% drop in the average March totals for the past three years. 124 people were seriously injured in car accidents during the month.
In the first three months of 2009, 69 people were killed on the roads – about 39% fewer than the same period in each of the last two years.
Even taking April statistics into account -- 22 people have been killed in car crashes this month, compared with 16 from April 1-22 last year -- the downward trend still continues. The total of 91 dead for this year is 29% less than for the same period last year, including Judea and Samaria.
The cost to the Israeli market due to physical damage to road accident victims was NIS 682 million in the first quarter of 2009, according to Calcalist. This number is down 30 percent from the same quarter in 2008.
It was not clear whether the relatively rain-free winter was a contributing factor to the statistics.