Night driving especially hazardous in Beersheba, survey finds

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Beersheba is one of the most dangerous cities in Israel for night-time driving, according to figures released by the Or Yarok road safety organization, reports www.mynet.co.il. According to the report, Or Yarok surveyed 70 cities across Israel on their traffic accident statistics for 2003 to 2008. A total of 41,942 people across Israel were injured in night-time accidents during that period, a national average of 12.8 injuries for every 10,000 residents in a city. In Beersheba, 1,188 people were injured in night-time accidents during those years, 21 of them lethally. The report said this meant that Beersheba had 19 injuries in night-time accidents for every 10,000 people in the city, making it the seventh-most dangerous city in Israel for night-time driving. An Or Yarok spokesman said that tiredness slowed the reaction times of many drivers at night, and that the situation was not helped by poor light and reduced vision. The spokesman said drivers had to take action to compensate for the changes that occurred at night.