Israel Police will launch an unprecedented, nationwide traffic enforcement operation starting Thursday morning, led by the force's Traffic Division in full coordination with district traffic units across the country, police announced Wednesday.
The operation is part of Israel Police's ongoing effort to combat fatal road accidents and dangerous driving that endangers lives. Forces will deploy to key points from the north of the country to the south, conducting continuous, focused, and intensive enforcement throughout the day and into the late night hours, aimed at creating real deterrence and saving lives.
Hundreds of officers and volunteers from across the force's traffic systems will take part, including Traffic Division officers, the national motorcycle patrol unit, heavy vehicle unit officers, detectives from the Traffic Division's central unit, division headquarters staff, alongside district traffic forces and numerous volunteers who have joined the national effort.
Police will deploy hundreds of patrol cars and motorcycles, both marked and unmarked, alongside extensive use of advanced technological enforcement tools, including still cameras, tactical cameras, radar speed-measurement devices, "Dvora" speed-detection units, and a range of additional digital tools designed to strengthen road governance and remove dangerous drivers immediately.
The Traffic Division's research and development branch conducted preliminary staff work mapping and analyzing accident data and the violations most affecting their severity. Based on that data, enforcement will focus on specific routes and well-defined risk zones, both on intercity roads and within cities. Officers in the field will prioritize enforcement against serious, life-endangering traffic violations, chief among them excessive speeding, distracted driving such as cellphone use, lane deviation, running red lights, and violations by riders of two-wheeled vehicles including motorcycles, scooters, and electric bicycles. Alongside the visible enforcement, detectives from the Traffic Division's central unit will work covertly and in targeted fashion against known repeat traffic offenders who pose a real, everyday danger to other road users, with the goal of taking them off the road.
The timing of the operation is not incidental, coming in the middle of summer vacation. This time of year is characterized by a dramatic rise in road traffic volume, an increase in long family trips to vacation sites and attractions across the country, and a heightened presence of new and young drivers on the roads during nighttime hours. The hot summer months also bring a surge in the use of two-wheeled vehicles, increasing riders' vulnerability on the roads. The massive enforcement surge is designed precisely for this reason, to increase the sense of security for all road users and prevent the next accident as much as possible.
Traffic Division head Commander Chaim Shmueli addressed the launch of the operation, saying the road is not a place for gambling or shortcuts. He said every driver chooses, in every moment, whether to be part of the solution or part of the problem, and that the real responsibility for preserving life rests in the public's hands. Shmueli called on the driving public to show great patience on the roads, to respect other road users, and to remember that at the end of every trip there is a family waiting and hoping for their loved ones to come home safely. Israel Police reiterated its call for the public to drive with heightened responsibility, adhere to traffic laws, and remember that effective enforcement saves lives.
