‘Money squeezer’: Israel’s traffic fine reform could strip many drivers of their licenses

Israel’s traffic police announced changes to speeding fines: on dangerous sections, cameras will now catch drivers exceeding the limit by just 5 km/h, and appealing fines will become harder. This has sparked criticism, including a petition to the High Court from lawyer Eylon Oron, who warns of mass license suspensions. The police and the ‘Or Yarok’ organization support the reform, citing a reduction in accidents.

On August 9, Israel’s traffic police announced changes to the system of speeding fines. On certain dangerous highway sections, cameras will begin recording violations at just 5 km/h over the limit, instead of the previous 10–15 km/h. In addition, appeals against fines are being moved to a new administrative court, where proceedings are conducted in writing, making it harder for drivers to defend themselves. The reform is being introduced in stages: from February 2026, it covered minor fines; from August, larger fines and speeding violations. Lawyer Eylon Oron filed a petition with the High Court of Justice, warning of mass license suspensions due to the accumulation of points. The ‘Or Yarok’ organization supported the changes, noting that 40% of fatal accidents in 2024 were linked to speeding. The police reject accusations of financial motives, stating that the goal is to reduce accidents.