Israel Police

The Point System for Traffic Violations – The Wording of the Law

General explanation

Like other countries combating traffic accidents, Israel has a point system. The system is designed to deal with drivers who commit more traffic offenses than others: both more serious and more frequent.

The ordinary driver, who is not a habitual offender – the “average” driver, if such a thing exists – who travels about 15,000-20,000 kilometers a year, and doesn’t go too wild on the roads, has nothing to fear from the point system. The system is not designed for him, and will do him no harm. In this context, let it be said that the Israel Police writes about 1.5 million traffic tickets a year, while Israel has about three million drivers. That means that on the average, a driver gets one ticket every two years. The “average” driver has no reason to fear the point system. The system is designed to deal with recidivist drivers, who commit more violations, or, at least, those who are caught more than others.

On October 1, 2003, a new point system was put into effect in Israel. The new system was designed to deal more effectively with delinquent drivers, and ease up, to some extent, on the “average” driver. The main differences between the new and the old system are as follows:

There are now five levels of points, instead of three, as before.
The severity of the offense and the amount of the fine match the number of points.
No corrective measures are taken for a single violation (in contrast to the previous situation).
Many offenses have been removed altogether from the point system, especially offenses considered to be trivial.
Points are no longer written off following corrective measures.
Corrective measures are extended, and adapted to the driver, according to his previous offenses.

As in the past, although a large part of the public does not regard it this way, the point system is not a punishment; it is a corrective measure, designed to reform errant drivers.

The Ministry of Transport operates and manages the point system, without any connection to the police. Any inquiry concerning points should be addressed directly to the Ministry of Transport (this can be done through the link to the Ministry of Transport website on this page below). As a service to the public, we list examples of offenses and the points assigned to them, as well as a number of answers to frequently asked questions.

Answers to frequently asked questions:

Q:	Are there any offenses for which no points are imposed?
A:	Yes – parking violations and moderate speeding violations. At the same time, fines are still imposed for these offenses, and must be paid.

Q:	When do drivers receive points?
A:	After either paying the fine or being convicted in court, the driver will be given the points stipulated for the offense he committed. The points will be counted from the date the offense was committed, not from the date the fine was paid, or when the verdict was given.

Q:	What happens if the driver does not pay his fine?
A:	Even if the traffic ticket is not paid within 90 days, and no request for a trial is submitted, the points will apply automatically from the date of the offense. If a request for a trial is submitted, the points are frozen until the end of the legal proceedings.

Q:	For how long are the points in effect?
A:	The points are accumulated from the date of the offense, and are taken off the record after two years. At the same time, if additional point are accumulated during the two years, and the driver reaches 12 points, the points will not be taken off the record. In this case, the driver will be summoned to a basic course in correct driving, at his expense. The course includes 12 hours in three sessions, and a test is given at the end. If the driver passes the test, his points are taken off the record. If he does not do the course, the Department of Motor Vehicles has the authority to suspend his driving license.

Q:	What happens if the driver accumulates more points?
A:	When a driver accumulates 22 points, his accumulation period is extended to four years. A driver who accumulates 24 or more points is summoned to a special course at his expense. A driver who has accumulated 36 or more points has his license suspended automatically for three months. The license is restored only after he passes a written test. A driver who accumulates 36 points for a second time has his license suspended automatically for nine months, after which he must go through the same licensing procedure as new drivers, including a medical examination, a written examination, and a driving test.

To view the number of points and symbols for an offense, click here to access the Ministry of Transport website.

The following is the complete version of the point system, according to the traffic regulations, sections 544-551. The main violations and the points imposed for them appear at the end of the regulations.

The point system in the traffic regulations

Part G: The Point System for Traffic Violations
Points imposed	544. A license holder (hereafter – “driver”) convicted of one of the violations listed in Appendix 6 will have the number of points ascribed to him as listed for the offense of which he was convicted.
Management of violations registry	545. (A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall manage, for every driver in its computerized database, a registry of all the traffic violations of which he has been convicted (hereafter - the “violations registry”).
	(B) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall list in the violations registry the points ascribed to the driver under Regulation 544.
	(C) If the driver appeals his conviction, and his appeal is upheld, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall remove the conviction from the violations registry.
	(D) A change or deviation in the description of a violation listed in Appendix 6 shall not affect the registering of the points for the driver who committed the violation.
Registering points for a single indictment	546. (A) If a driver has been convicted of a number of offenses in a single indictment, the number of points for the violation bearing the largest number of points of all those in the indictment shall be ascribed to him.
	(B) If the driver appeals his conviction, and notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles of his appeal, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall not take into account the points for that conviction before a final verdict is rendered in the case.
Adding up and accumulating points	547. (A) Whenever new points are registered for a driver, the Department of Motor Vehicles will add up the points registered for him that are still in effect.
	(B) Points ascribed to a driver shall be in effect for two years from the date on which the violation was committed (hereafter – the “accumulation period”). The date on which the points were registered will not be taken into account in calculating the accumulation period.
Corrective measures	548. The corrective measures referred to in Regulation 548. (D) are as follows, all or some of them:
	1) Courses in correct driving, with an examination at the end;
	2) A written driving examination;
	3) A practical driving test;
	4) Suspension of the driver’s license for a given period, or until the conditions determined by the Department of Motor Vehicles are fulfilled; medical examinations.
Imposing corrective measures	549. (A) A driver with 12-22 points on his record during the accumulation period will be summoned to receive training in correct driving in a basic course given by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and must pass the test.
	(B) A driver with 24-34 points on his record during the accumulation period will be summoned to received training in correct driving in an additional course given by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and must pass the test.
	(C) A driver with 36 or points on his record during the accumulation period will have his license suspended for three months. His license will be renewed after he passes a written driving test, according to Regulation 205.
	(D) A driver whose license has been suspended and renewed under subsection (C) and has once more accumulated 36 or more points within six months of his license being renewed shall have his license suspended for nine months. His license shall be renewed at the end of this period only after he passes medical examinations at the Traffic Safety Medical Institute, as well as the tests listed in Regulations 202-210.
Notifying the driver	550. (A) If a driver has accumulated a number of points that requires corrective measures listed in Regulation 549, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall notify him of this, and refer him to carrying out those corrective measures. The notification shall be sent to the driver by registered mail a suitable length of time in advance, to the address listed in the database of drivers at the Ministry of Transport.
	(B) Notification of corrective measures according to Regulation 549. (A) and (B), if sent as stipulated in sub-Regulation (A) above, will be regarded as delivered to the driver after 15 days from the date it was sent, unless it can be proved that it was not received for reasons unconnected with the driver, and not due to his avoiding receiving it.
	551. (A) The driver shall comply with the corrective measures decided by the Department of Motor Vehicles under Regulation 549, at the time and place stipulated, unless he has given the Department of Motor Vehicles advance notice of a reasonable cause for his inability to comply.
	B) A driver who has had corrective measures imposed on him under Regulation 549. (C) or (D) is entitled to apply in writing to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of being notified under Regulation 550, and to request that his complaints be heard. If a driver makes this request, the imposition of the corrective measures shall be postponed for 45 days, during which the driver’s complaints shall be heard.
	(C) Within 45 days, or after the driver’s complaints are heard, whichever happens first, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall make its decision about the corrective measures the driver shall be obliged to undergo.
	(D) Regardless of what is stated in Regulation 549, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall be entitled, in specific cases, and for special considerations that shall be listed in its decision, to impose different corrective measures, in place of those stipulated in this Regulation, or in addition to them. If the Department of Motor Vehicles decides to add a corrective measure, sub-regulations (B) and (C) above shall apply to the decision.
	(E) When a year has passed since the driver was notified, according to Regulation 550 of the corrective measures, or since he was notified of the decision by the Department of Motor Vehicles, according to sub-regulation (D) above, whichever is later, and the driver has not complied with the corrective measures, the Department of Motor Vehicles is entitled to suspend the driver’s license on notification, to be given as stipulated in Regulation 550. (A), and the instructions of Regulation 550. (B) shall apply to the suspension. A driver who has received notification of the suspension of his license shall deposit his license with the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days of receiving the notification.

Appendix 6
(Regulation 544)

2 points
Serial No.	Regulation	Short Description of the Violation
1	38 (A)	Driving on the sidewalk for purposes other than crossing it
2	83B (A)	A passenger not wearing a seatbelt,provided that the driver is wearing his seatbelt.
3	90 (F)	Unsafe towing of a vehicle
4	91 (A)	Illegal towing of a mobile machine
5	91 (B)	Towing a trailer or semitrailer in violation of the towing requirements
6	91 (C)	Towing a motor vehicle with an unsuitable vehicle
7	91 (F)	Towing more than one trailer without a permit
8	91 (G)	A motorcycle towing without a permit
9	97 (A)(B)(C)	Traveling without using headlights as required

4 points
Serial No.	Regulation	Short Description of the Violation
2	21 (B)(3)	Disturbing or delaying traffic
3	22 (A) 64 (D)	Failure to obey a Sign B-37, failure to stop only
4	22 (A)	Failure to obey a Sign B-48, failure to pass on the right side of the sign, or failure to yield the right of way to traffic crossing the road on the traffic circle
5	28 (B)	Driving while using a telephone without a microphone
6	36 (E)	Entering an intersection with a commercial vehicle in other than the right-hand lane.
7	45	Driving in reverse in an incautious or dangerous manner
8	47 (A), (E) (2)	Overtaking other than on the left side, or overtaking or changing lanes after a 30-A traffic sign before a railway crossing.
9	48 (B), (C)	Delaying traffic, failing to move to the shoulder of the road or a stable margin of the road, or failure to stop
10	57	A bus passing a railway at a crossing not paved with asphalt
11	67 (A)	Not allowing a pedestrian to finish crossing the road in safety
12	85 (A) (3)	Transporting cargo in an unsafe and unsecured manner
13	85 (A) (2), (B)	Transporting a load that restricts the driver’s field of vision
14	93 (A) (1)	Failing to yield the right of way to a security vehicle
15	95 (D), 96, 97 (D)	Driving an operational vehicle in an area other than the one stipulated
16	99 (A) (1), (2), (3), 101,103	Driving without using the headlights as required

6 points
Serial No.	Ordinance	Regulation	Short Description of the Violation
1	2		Driving a vehicle requiring registration and licensing without a license
2	62 (2)		Driving a vehicle frivolously
3		21 (C)	Driving carelessly
4		22 (A)	Failure to obey traffic signs forbidding entry to various vehicles according to Signs B-1, B-2, B-12, B-13, B-14, B-15, B-16, B-17, B-18, B-54, B-60, B-68
5		22 (A)	Failure to obey traffic signs forbidding passing (overtaking): Signs B-8, B-10
6		22 (A), 36 (D)	Driving in directions other than according to traffic signs B-40, B-41, B-42, B-43, B-44, B-45, B-46, B-47, B-50, B-51, E-4, or against the arrow marked on the road
7		23 (A) (1), (2)	Failure to obey the instructions or signals of a policeman or city traffic controller
8		26 (4), 27 (C)	Driving with lack of control over a vehicle
9		33 (A)	Driving off the road, except for a two-wheel vehicle
10		36 (A)	Crossing an unbroken separation line while driving
11		35, 46 (A)	Driving other than on the right side of the road
12		37	Driving a vehicle in the wrong direction on a one-way road
13		39A (A), (C), (G), 39C (A)	Driving a motorized machine or quad bike in violation of the regulations
14		47 (D) (3), (4), 47 (H)	Passing before a pedestrian crossing, in an intersection, or failure to complete a passing maneuver before an intersection, by a vehicle weighing over 4,000 kilograms, illegally passing a vehicle that is passing another vehicle
15		64 (A) (1), (2), (3), 64 (B) (1), (2), 66, 68	Failure to yield the right of way to a vehicle coming on the right, to an oncoming vehicle when turning left, to a vehicle on a paved road, to a pedestrian, to a vehicle moving on the road, to a vehicle coming in the opposite direction; failure to allow a pedestrian to cross the road safely, entering a traffic lane unsafely
16		65, 83A	Entering a railway crossing or intersection when unable to continue driving, driving with a child not strapped into a restraining harness
17		83B (A)	A driver not wearing a safety belt
18		85 (A) (6), 86 (1), (2), (3)	Transporting an uncovered and loose, unfastened, or spilled load
19		155	Discharging materials in an unsafe manner

8 points
Serial No.	Ordinance	Regulation	Short Description of the Violation
1	10 (A)		Driving with a license not valid for the type of vehicle being driven
2	38 (3)	21 (B) (2)	Causing an accident in which a person is injured, or behavior causing harm to a person while driving
3		21 (B) (4), 26 (1)	Behavior liable to endanger human life, passers-by
4		27 (A)	Driving a vehicle whose condition is liable to endanger passers-by/ others using the road
5		44 (A)	Making a U-turn that endangers other road users in aggravating circumstances, according to the instructions for aggravating circumstances in offenses punishable by fine (hereafter – aggravating circumstances)
6		47 (E) (1), G)	Passing before an intersection, pedestrian crossing, or railway crossing when visibility is poor
7		54 (A), 22 (2)	Driving 20-30 kmph over the speed limit on an urban road
8		54 (A), 22 (A)	Driving 25-40 kmph over the speed limit on a non-urban road or high-speed road
9		56 (A) (1), (2), (3), (4)	Failing to stop before a railway intersection
10		64 (D), 22 (A)	Driving through a combined red and yellow traffic light, in violation of traffic light E-2
11		64 (E)	Driving through a flashing yellow traffic light without allowing a pedestrian to cross safely, or without allowing a vehicle approaching the intersection to cross it safely.
12		85 (A) (4)	Transporting an unsafe and unsecured load
13		85 (D) (1), (E) (3)	Transporting a load deviating from the dimensions of the vehicle
14		85A (F) (1), (3), (4)	Transporting a container in violation of the regulations
15		168	Driving more hours than permitted
16		308 (D)	Driving a vehicle for which notification forbidding it to be driven has been delivered
17		364D (B)	Driving without a tachograph in good repair
18		364E (C)	Driving without a speed limiting device in good repair

10 points
Serial No.	Ordinance	Regulation	Short Description of the Violation
1	Section 304 of the Criminal Code [New Version] (1977)		Causing death by negligence
2	64 (A)		Abandoning an injured person
3		22 (A), 54 (A)	Driving more than 30 kmph over the speed limit on a urban road
4		22 (A), 54 (A)	Driving more than 40 kmph over the speed limit on a non-urban road or high-speed road
5		47 (D), (E) (5)	Passing a vehicle when the road is not clear, or by crossing an unbroken separation line
6		64 (C), 22 (A)	Failure to yield the right of way at Sign B-36
7		64 (D), 22 (A)	Failure to yield the right of way at Sign B-37
8		64 (D), 22 (A)	Driving on a red light at a traffic light, in violation of traffic light E-1
9		67 (A)	Not allowing a pedestrian to finish crossing the road safely, under aggravating circumstances
10		85 (A) (5)	Transporting a load more than 24.9% greater than the total permitted weight
11	62 (3)	26 (2), 169B	Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
12		67	Driving a vehicle when the driver’s license is suspended

These regulations become effective on January 1, 2003.

If the driver had at most four points ascribed to him under the instructions of Part G in the main regulations as they were formulated before these regulation became effective (hereafter – “the previous regulations”), the points will be discounted.
If the driver has six or more points ascribed to him according to the previous regulations, the driver will undergo the same corrective measures stipulated according to the points, and the points will be discounted, provided that he completes the corrective measures within a year of the date on which the new regulations became effective.
A driver who is obliged to undergo corrective measures under sub-regulation and did not do so by the stipulated date, will have the points already ascribed to him replaced by the points stipulated in Appendix 6 on the replacement date, together with the violations of which he has been convicted, if the new regulation stipulate that points are to be assigned for them. He will undergo the corrective measures stipulated under these regulations.
If a driver has been convicted after these regulations went into effect of an offense committed before they came into effect, he will not have points put on his record.