English - or yarok

OrYarok

Avi Naor

chairman

Shmuel Aboav

CEO

About Us

The Or Yarok Association for Safer Driving in Israel was founded in 1997 due to recognition of the critical importance of the uncompromising struggle against traffic accidents and the importance of community involvement in the struggle. The declared goal of the association is to minimize the number of casualties in traffic accidents as much as possible and to affect a change in Israel’s driving culture.

Since its foundation, the association has sparked a genuine revolution in public awareness, in the field of road crashes, both in terms of its direct activity and in the encouragement that this activity has given to other organizations involved in this field.

Or Yarok is a private association which is financed through donations and independent means.

The association’s chairman and founder is Avi Naor, father of the late Ran Naor, who was killed in a traffic accident during his military service before he was 20 years old.

To learn more about Or Yarok click here

Members of the Association's Board of Directors

Mr. Avi Naor – Chairman

Mr. Shmuel Aboav – CEO

Mr. Shlomo Aharonishky -Retired Police Commissioner

Mr. Yehudah Vilk - Retired Police Commissioner

Ms. Dalia Yairi - Communication

Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer - Society

Mr. Aric Raz - Society

Mr. Ilan Cohen – Former CEO of Prime Minister office

Mr. Moti Dotan –The Mayor of Lower Galilee Regional Council

Ms. Merav Naor Weinstock - Communication

Mr. Yoav Serna

Mr. Erez Halfon

Mr. Eli Cohen

Ms. Gali Shahar

The Holistic Approach

The ”Or Yarok” association believes that only a holistic approach that incorporates all parties involved in the struggle against road crashes will enable achievements. The efforts must be made in all levels of action:

On the personal level: the association calls for improved driving culture. The driving culture must be fostered through education – and primarily by serving as a role model – beginning at a very early age. This is an action that every one of us can take, beginning with the close circle,of our family, our children and our home.

The Association believes that every citizen can and must contribute to the struggle personally, and, at the very least, drive responsibly to protect his own life and the life of his family.

On the community and local authorities’ level: underlying community action is cooperation with the local authorities that can facilitate tremendous achievements. Delegation of some of the responsibilities in the struggle against accidents to the community, in areas such as instruction, education or identification of hazards – will increase community involvement in the field, and will affect the reduction of the number of road crashes and casualties.

In 2008 Or Yarok launched the first ”Or Yarok Club”, and a couple of years later there are more than 30 operating Clubs. The Club is designed to be an alert factor, sensitive to road safety problems on the local level –city or local authority. The Club compiles information about road safety weak-points, alerts the local authority and helps in finding a
solution. Another example of community recruitment for the struggle against road crashes: volunteering to police traffic units. That’s the way,community can prevent accidents– and enable change.

On the national level: the Israeli government must realize its responsibility and actively lead the struggle against traffic accidents, within the confines of the national road safety program that it passed in July 2005, and adopted as law by the Knesset in July 2006. The struggle against traffic accidents should be placed high on the public agenda, and should be managed as well as coordinated on the national level. Clearly defined and quantitative goals should be set for the struggle, and program recommendations implemented, making the struggle against traffic accidents into a rational, life-saving struggle. Alongside the painful human aspects of traffic accidents is the significant financial and economic aspect, and the cost the economy huge amounts every year in terms of loss of work days, hospitalization and rehabilitation, as well as in direct and indirect expenses.

A cornerstone for success in this struggle is allowing the Israeli Road Safety Authority (RSA) that began its activity in January 2007 based on the approved national program, to fulfill it’s duties as the main coordinator of the national road safety effort. However, administrative procedures, different agendas and other impediments prevent the RSA from maximizing its potential. This is a situation Or Yarok strives to change.

Association Activities

The activities of Or Yarok association are carried out in four arenas: applied projects, research, public advocacy and public motivation. In these arenas, the Association emphasizes the following areas of activity:

Applied projects – Or Yarok initiated, performed and evaluated several projects to promote road safety in Israel. These projects are used to demonstrate both feasibility and effectiveness of specific counter measures with the ultimate goal of transferring them to the Government or creating a continuity mechanism for their long-term implementation.

These projects include:

Improvement of young drivers’ training process and its effective implementation. Or Yarok is conducting, through volunteers, personal guidance to parents and young drivers throughout the accompanied driving phase. This project was thoroughly researched and proved to be highly effective. It has also created general awareness to the importance of the accompanied driving phase, and a legislation suggestion to structure the training system accordingly.

Cooperation with the police and the national road safety authority to create and empower a volunteer traffic unit that incorporates over 10,000 volunteers. Promoting road safety in the local authorities through the ”safe city” compendium of activities.

Research – establishment of the ”evidence based road safety” concept adopted from leading countries in road safety. The concept of evidence based road safety is implemented in all of OR YAROK’s activities and serves as a guidance for a nationwide adaptation both on the ministerial & Government level as well as in all road safety activities carried out in Israel. The Ran Naor Research Foundation was established to promote research and advance professional education and training in road safety.

Public advocacy – monitoring, evaluating and criticizing (if necessary) all the organizations that are in charge of road safety.

Information – public motivation through increased awareness to road safety issues, concepts, responsibility and call for action to a complete implementation of the national long-term road safety plan.

Young Drivers

Young drivers are the focus of the activities of the association, which has accumulated knowledge, experience and expertise in handling this issue. Within the confines of young driver programs, Or Yarok operates the ”Or Yarok for Life” program: In Israel, as in most countries around the world, the young driver population is accident-prone, and is involved in twice as many accidents compared to their size. A new driver in Israel is bound by law to drive with an experienced driver during the first three months after having received a license. The association aims to cause all new drivers in Israel to be entitled to have effective supervision throughout the period prescribed by law. In order to accomplish this, the association has created a novice program targeting both parents and young drivers during the accompanied driving phase.

The program includes an instructional meeting of the family host from Or Yarok with the new driver and his family, usually at the driver’s home. After the meeting, the family is granted, at no cost, a sophisticated kit that is meant to provide an answer to both professional questions, related to safety driving, and to issues that might arise in the interaction between young drivers and their escorts. By the end of 2009, Or Yarok has carried out over 180,000 of these types of instructional meetings. The association acts to incorporate young drivers from the Arab sector in the program, and is, for this purpose, establishing a family host system and informative material in Arabic. In addition, in the sphere of young drivers – Or Yarok supports the establishment of GDL, Graduated Driver Licensing, and is working to advance the law on this issue.

Cooperation with the Police

In 2007, a joint venture between the Israel police, the National Road Safety Authority and the Ministry of Finance was launched – "Mitnadvim be Tnuah", which is an extension of the first project launched by "Or Yarok" – a project to encourage volunteering in the police department's traffic units across the country.

In this new venture, the police volunteer force, in the traffic (intercity) division and in the city traffic units will receive an annual budget of NIS 21 million for operating the force, for purchasing equipment, for instructional purposes and for improving the quality of the volunteers. Or Yarok contributed approximately 140 patrol cars to the project, and all ancillary equipment required to operate them. Since launching this project, the number of traffic volunteers has risen from 1000 at the beginning of the project to 10,000 today. The results are visible: increased presence of units and officers in city streets and roads.

In the joint venture, emphasis is placed on activities such as increased enforcement in the area of alcohol, reinforcement of conscious deterrence, etc.

Local Authorities

A significant percentage of traffic accidents (approximately 74%) take place within towns. Most pedestrians who are injured within towns are children and senior citizens. The association has therefore decided to act in the area of local authorities in order to help towns become safer.

An examination of actions taken around the world revealed that successes have been achieved when a systematic intervention program was implemented in the town in various layers (infrastructure, education, society and enforcement) by the local authorities in a range of factors affecting road safety in that town. The success of the actions depends on the full cooperation and assumption of responsibility by the local authority leadership.

In addition to the establishment of the pilot "Or Yarok Clubs" (groups of volunteers that will act to increase community awareness of road safety) in several towns, the association will act as a facilitating and influential factor on national and local authorities in road safety management and activities that will reduce the number of traffic accidents and casualties in towns.

Senior citizens' activities with kindergarten children - In this unique program, senior citizens volunteers visit kindergartens once a week to deliver road safety messages through different activities such as games and stories.

Elementary schools - Diverse activities are performed at schools, aimed to train the youngsters to take individual responsibility as road users, and to convey road safety messages to their families.

Gender differences - Involvement in road crashes is more prevalent among men than among women, especially when young drivers are concerned. Not only are women more cautious and responsible on the road, they can also exert positive influence on men. In this program, designed for women only, participants take part in a special training course, during which they acquire tools to help them calm their young male counterparts on the road.

High schools and the military - Or-yarok reaches out to young drivers in high schools and in the army service. These programs address the main problems of young driving, such as inexperience, peer pressure, and driving under the influence of alcohol. Some of these activities involve training youth to be young leaders and serve as agents for social change in the field of road safety. In the army, commanders are trained to discuss road safety issues with their soldiers as part of their military routine, and when off-duty on weekends and vacations.

Lectures in workplaces - Or yarok provides lectures on road safety issues to drivers in workplaces, in order to raise their awareness to safe driving, and to bring about behavioral change. These lectures help create road safety consciousness among both employers and employees in the workplace itself as well as in the wider community.

Lectures to the senior community - Because of the physical and cognitive deterioration with age, there are special road safety issues, which characterize the elderly. In order to improve the road safety of the senior community, Or-yarok has developed special training course, dealing with the main hazards for pedestrians and drivers at this age.

Research

Research provides the basis to all of Or Yarok’s activities and accompanies all aspects of its operation. Or Yarok promotes an Evidence- Based-Safety approach both in its own activities and in the overall road safety community in Israel. For this purpose, it initiates, finances and manages a wide spectrum of research activities and is actively involved in implementing and disseminating their conclusions. Through this approach Or Yarok strives to bridge and connect between academia and practice, in an effort to enhance knowledge regarding the causes of road crashes and their characteristics, and to examine and implement effective countermeasures.

The research activity is carried out in cooperation with researchers from the Israeli and global academic community in various fields, all related to road safety, and in cooperation with research departments of Universities and organizations in Israel dealing with road safety.

Dr. Tsippy Lotan is the chief scientist of Or Yarok.

Learn more about Or Yarok's research department

Promotion of Legislation

The Association was extremely active in the establishment of the road safety lobby in the Knesset. This lobby is the largest ever in the Knesset since its establishment, and involves 62 MKs (of the 120 MKs) from every faction. The lobby convenes regularly, and sponsors as well as supports safety legislations, etc. In 2005, the lobby signed 93 MKs on a demand from the government to implement the national road safety program. The association encourages safety legislation in the Knesset, and provides research and data to legislators. It also maintains a regular presence in the Knesset through its lobbyist. Among the laws the association was involved in is the extension of the new driver escorting law, a law enabling the impoundment of cars due to deliberate offences, the new road safety authority, etc.

Public Advocacy

The Or Yarok Association sees itself as a representative of the public interest in road safety. In this framework, the association will monitor the actions of all the official and government organizations in charge of road safety, and will report to the public about the activities as well as alert them to failures and mishaps.

Among the issues that the public advocacy will focus on are: the establishment of a national road safety authority, the Israel National Roads Company (Ma'atz), the legal system and rulings on traffic, enforcement with emphasis on driving under the influence of alcohol, pedestrian behavior, wearing seat belts, health and safety, two-wheel vehicle, etc.

Or Yarok Conference

Or Yarok convenes an international conference dedicated to road safety every year. To date, five conferences have been convened. The conference brings together all parties involved in road safety in Israel – from officials at the Ministry of Transportation and National Road Safety Authority, to Israel Police, researchers and academicians, safety experts from Israel and around the world, road safety associations, etc. The issues that are discussed include road safety issues which are at the top of the public agenda. The conference convenes every year and is attended by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, the Minister of Public Security, ministers and MKs.

List of main topics of Or Yarok’s seminars, conferences and workshops (partial list):

Children Safety, 2005
Young Drivers and GDL, 2005
Safety Measures and Indicators, 2007
Alcohol and Driving, 2007

Annual Or Yarok Safety Conferences – Main topics:

New Road Safety Authority (2006)
Local Authorities
Speeding
Enforcement
Technology
Safety improvements in Infrastructure, 2008
Passive Safety in Vehicles, 2008
Road Safety in workplaces, 2009
Workshops on implementation of research in road safety 2009
Education for road safety, 2009

Or Yarok and the National Road Safety Program

The Or Yarok association believes that the struggle against road accidents can succeed by focusing and coordinating efforts made by the various authorities, to coalesce into one comprehensive program, a national road safety program. This is an excellent formula for achieving significant success in the struggle against traffic accidents and international experience does indeed confirm that when a country sets the struggle against traffic accidents as a national goal, and determines a multi-annual plan accompanied by performance goals and carries out multidisciplinary actions – they can – and manage to – lower the number of accidents and casualties by dozens of percentages!

In the first half of 2005, Or Yarok launched a large public campaign under the slogan – "Road Safety – Not Fate, but Fault", in which it signed more than 1,200,000 citizens on a petition calling on the government to adopt and implement a national program. The Or Yarok association asked the government to define in the plan, its numerical goals for a reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured.

On July 17, 2005, the Israeli government passed by a vast majority (19 for, 2 abstentions) a resolution adopting and implementing a national road safety program, based on the recommendations of the committee report headed by Dr. Yacov Shaynin. In July 2006, the Knesset also passed the New National Road Safety Authority Law, based on the Shaynin Report.

The Association's Code of Ethics

Basic Value – Human Life

The Or Yarok association acts out of recognition of the supreme importance of the uncompromising battle against traffic accidents and of the importance of community involvement in this battle.

Or Yarok strives to reduce the number of casualties in traffic accidents, to influence a change in Israel's driving culture and to reinforce a civil society that is involved and active in the struggle against traffic accidents.

Or Yarok believes that this change is possible by strictly and meticulously maintaining traffic laws, safety rules, cautious and generous behavior while showing consideration for others – all based on a humane approach that endeavors to prevent traffic accidents and their consequences. The people of Or Yarok set the saving of human life on the roads as their prime goal.

Responsibility

The people of Or Yarok will assume responsibility for exercising the association's basic value and will work while constantly demonstrating involvement, initiative and diligence, within the spheres of its authority.

Reliability and Fairness

The people of Or Yarok will introduce issues in their entity, in their entirety, accurately, in planning, performance and reporting. They will act so that their colleagues can rely on their performance of the tasks. The people of Or Yarok will behave fairly and with appropriate transparency towards those who work with them in the association and with their partners.

Personal Example

The people of Or Yarok will serve as personal role models in terms of their behavior on the job and in their driving. They will do exactly what they demand that others do, while acknowledging their ability and responsibility.

Professionalism and Excellence

The people of Or Yarok will work to acquire the professional knowledge and skills required to carry out their job, will apply them while striving to continually improve personal and system achievements. Furthermore, the people of Or Yarok will not be satisfied with only professionalism but will make every effort to achieve excellence in every sphere pertaining to the association's work.

Mission

The people of Or Yarok will view their work and membership at Or Yarok as a human and social mission that may significantly impact Israeli society.

Friendship

The people of Or Yarok will work together in a spirit of unity, friendship and mutual support for the common goal.

Or Yarok Publications

* This is a partial list of selected publications in recent years. All publications are in Hebrew unless otherwise noted.

Position Papers and Status Reports

Driving Under the Influence in Israel
Bicycle helmets
Roadside advertising
Two Wheelers
Vehicle Impoundment

Research Publications

Alcohol and Driving- Examples from International Experience (2007)
Drink driving Barometer - Public attitude Surveys

International Comparisons
A comparison between Israeli and European Drivers, Sartre III (2007)
Road Safety Measures in Israel in Compared to Europe- Summary of PIN Reports, 2008

Public Opinion Surveys
Public Opinion Survey Regarding Road Safety in Israel (ANNUAL SURVEY SINCE 2004)
Public Opinion Survey Regarding a National Plan for Road Safety (2005)
Public Opinion Survey Regarding traffic Enforcement in Israel (2006)

Young Drivers
Driving purpose and exposure (2009)
Evaluating the Safety Implications & Research Potential of “Green Box” for Young
Drivers (2005)
A Novel Program to Enhance Safety for Young Drivers in Israel (2007)
Public Opinions about New Legislation concerning Young Drivers’ Training (2005)
Young Drivers Involvement in Road Crashes – Data, Trends and Research (2nd ed. 2008)

Other Topics
Literature Review of The Effectiveness of Fear Appeal on Risk Taking in Driving (2005)
Road Safety in Israel in Urban Areas 2004-2005 (2006)
Road safety research and education in Israel (2007)

GreenBox (IVDR)2
An In-Vehicle Data Recorder for Evaluation of Driving Behavior and Safety
Tsippy Lotan, Tomer Toledo
Paper for TRB Annual conference, 2006

Driving Patterns of Young Drivers within a Graduated Driver Licensing System
Tsippy Lotan, Tomer Toledo
Paper for the TRB Annual conference, 2007

Evaluating the Safety Implications & Research Potential of “Green Box” for Young Drivers
Tsippy Lotan, Tomer Toledo
Paper for the 3th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design 2005

Intra-Familial Transmission of Driving Behavior: Evidence from In-Vehicle Data Recorders
Carlo Giacomo Prato, Tsippy Lotan, Tomer Toledo
Paper TRB Annual Conference, 2009

In-Vehicle Data Recorders for Monitoring and Feedback on Drivers’ Behavior
Tomer Toledo, Oren Musicant, Tsippy Lotan
An abstract of an article from Transportation Research Part C 16 (2008) 320–331

Modeling the Behavior of Novice Young Drivers During the First Year After
Licensure
Carlo Giacomo Prato, Tomer Toledo, Tsippy Lotan, Orit Taubman - Ben-Ari
An abstract of an article from Accident Analysis and Prevention (forthcoming)

Modeling the Behavior of Novice Young Drivers Using Data from In-vehicle Data Recorders
Tsippy Lotan, Tomer Toledo, Carlo G. Prato
Paper for the 5th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design 2009

Safety Correlation and Implications of an In-Vehicle Data Recorder on Driver Behavior
Oren Musicant, Tsippy Lotan, Tomer Toledo
Paper TRB Annual Conference, 2007

The Ran Naor Research Foundation - Publications

Explanatory research by means of data mining for investigating relationships among infrastructure, drivers and the nature of offences
Dr. Shlomo Bekhor, Prof. David Mahalel - Transportation Research Institute, Technion

Different methods of coping with driving fatigue during prolonged driving – an in-depth study
Prof. David Shinar, Dr. Adi Ronen - Dept. of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

The effect of installing a speed limiter in vehicles on the number and severity of road accidents
Prof. Avishai Ceder, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

Statistical-prediction model for accidents at non-urban intersections in Israel
Dr. Hillel Bar-Gera, Dept. of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Analysis and modeling of driving behavior using an in-vehicle data recorder
Prof. Yoram Shiftan – Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

The relation between driving experience and the recognition of road signs according to their locations
Prof. Joachim Meyer, Dept. of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Working conditions, fatigue and crashes among truck drivers in the Arab sector, in comparison with the Jewish sector
Prof. Elliot Berry, Prof. Elihu Richter - Hebrew University, Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine

Driving-related adaptation patterns among elderly drivers in Israel: Description, antecedents and well-being outcomes
Prof. Sara Carmel, Department of Sociology of Health and Gerontology, Faculty of Health
Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Child injuries associated with school transportation
Sharon Goldman, Center for Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research, the Gertner
Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research

”Pedestrian-oriented environments” - The protection of pedestrians’ rights - Improving the quality of life in urban environments
Prof. Moshe Margalith, School of Architecture, Tel-Aviv University

Injured pedestrians – circumstances, injury profile and outcome
Malka Avitzour, Center for Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research

Towards developing a hazard-perception training program for young inexperienced drivers
Dr. Tal Oron-Gilad, Dept. of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Legal regulation of older drivers: a critical international comparative perspective
Dr. Israel Doron, Department of Gerontology, Haifa University

A decision-support system for sentencing of traffic offenders
Prof. Uri J. Schild, Department of Computer Science, Dr. Ruth Kannai Faculty of Law, Bar Ilan University

Automatic monitoring and enforcement of traffic regulations
Dr. Tomer Toledo, Dr. Filin Sagi, Transportation Research Institute, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Characteristics of bicycle-related injuries and safety issues as a basis for injury prevention programs
Dr. Kobi Peleg, Center for Trauma and Emergency Medicine Research, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research

Using incentives for reducing the frequency of deviant driving speeds
Prof. David Navon, Department of Psychology, Haifa University

The effect of an employer-provided car and associated taxation policy on road safety
Prof. Yoram Shiftan – Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

How can communication campaigns influence road safety behavior? Which theories and models are used, and what could be the potential contribution of theories and models that have not been used?
Dr. Nurit Guttman, Department of Communications, Dr. Yechiel Klar, Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University

Risk factors for car accidents due to the reduction of visual abilities in low light conditions
Dr. Uri Polat, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Detection and automatic alarm for obstacles on road-rail crossings
Prof. Yehoshua Zeevi, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Development of tools for a safety examination of detailed plans of urban streets with mixed land uses
Prof. Doron Balasha, Dr. Victoria Gitelman, Transportation Research Institute, Faculty of

Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Barriers to the implementation of traffic calming in Israeli towns and cities and the policy required to overcome them
Dr. Yodan Rofè, Department of Man in the Desert, J. Blaustein Institute of Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.