3,300 children injured yearly in traffic accidents

More than 3,300 children are injured each school year in traffic accidents according to traffic safety organization Or Yarok (Green Light), which published the findings as the 2012-2013 school year gets underway.

According to figures gathered by Or Yarok, an average of 23 children between the ages of 5 and 19 are killed in traffic accidents during the school year.

The majority are injured lightly, but 273 children are injured severely from accidents in cities and towns across the country between September and June.

A total of 3,328 students are involved in traffic accidents during the school year, the organization reported.

Jerusalem is the most dangerous city for students, with 259 school-age children injured in traffic accidents during the year. Tel Aviv was a distant second, with 149 accidents, and Haifa followed with 126 accidents.

Beersheba, Rishon Lezion and Rehovot each averaged around 72 accidents per school year among students.

Or Yarok director Shmuel Abuav called on the Education Ministry to increase hours in the classroom devoted to road safety, from kindergarten until high school.

Two million students went back to school last Monday, setting a record for the number of children enrolled in Israeli schools.