"If you think N.Y. traffic is bad & drivers nasty just try driving over here.
It is the worst mad house you have ever seen.
The only thing is you are always moving."
August 26, 1957
"Last night we again roamed the streets of Tel Aviv in the rented jeep."
August 27, 1957
David's Comments
Driving in Israel
Bob's Israeli rental car, 1968
Aggressive, Nasty Driving Culture
Things have not changed much. Driving in Tel Aviv today is still a "madhouse", and the drivers are just as nasty - the only difference being that in 1957 there were very few cars on the road. Since it was less crowded, "you were always moving", as my father puts it. In addition to an aggressive driving culture, the roads were in bad condition. This made driving even more dangerous. So despite the fact that Jews have assembled from the four corners of the earth to the land of Israel creating a unique diverse culture, they all seem to drive the same way - in a rush, with no cheshbonot (taking nothing into account, including their lives and other people’s lives).
Density Means More Traffic Jams
In Israel today, there are many more vehicles on the road, thanks to strong economic and population growth. From 1957 to 2020, the Israeli population grew from approximately two million to nine million. Adding to population density and traffic is the fact that so many tall buildings are located in Tel Aviv, such as the 43-story Shalom Tower. This was Israel's first skyscraper, which began building in 1965. Today the Tel Aviv skyline is full of many towering buildings including the Electra Tower, the Kirya Tower and the Azrieli Sarona Tower.
What's Being Done?
The Israeli government throughout the years has spent billions on new roads and tunnels, and has invested more millions trying to change the driving culture. Unfortunately, the fatalities from traffic accidents surpasses the fatalities in wars. The nastiness and arrogance of the drivers continues – tailgating, speeding and overall reckless driving. Ironically, it was Israeli genius which developed WAZE and the "Mobile Eye", which sends out warning beeps if your car veers into another lane or gets too close to another vehicle. While such innovations may make driving safer, as long as Israeli drivers continue to conduct themselves aggressively and do not adopt safer driving habits, the carnage will continue.
1957 vs today
In 1957, there were very few cars on the road, the roads were bad, and the drivers, even then, were nasty and arrogant. Even though they came from the four corners of the world, they all drove the same way: in a rush, with no “cheshbonot” (taking nothing into account, including their lives and other people’s lives).
Today, there are many more cars on the road as the population of Israel has expanded. The government has spent billions on new roads and tunnels, and has invested more millions trying to change the driving culture. Unfortunately, the fatalities from traffic accidents surpasses the fatalities in wars. The nastiness and arrogance of the drivers continues – tailgating, speeding and overall reckless driving.
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