Israel to Deploy 250 Average-Speed Cameras in 2026

Drivers in Israel who have mastered the art of slowing down just before a speed camera and accelerating immediately after are about to face a new reality. The Israel Police has officially launched a massive tender to overhaul the national speed enforcement network, shifting from "point-in-time" cameras to a sophisticated Average Speed Enforcement (ASE) system.

How It Works
Unlike the current cameras that catch you at a single spot, the new system will monitor 125 specific road segments.

One camera is placed at the entrance of a segment and another at the exit. The system records the exact time your vehicle passes both points. If the time elapsed is shorter than what is legally required to cover that distance at the speed limit, a ticket is automatically generated.

A Multi-Million Shekel Overhaul
The project is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of shekels. The new network will consist of 250 cameras covering long stretches of highway where speeding is most prevalent. These cameras are highly advanced - capable of identifying license plates, vehicle types, and colors in all weather conditions at speeds up to 200 km/h. 

Data-Driven Enforcement
The winning franchisee will manage the hardware, but the police remain the sole authority for issuing fines. The system will transmit three encrypted files to the police command center for every violation:

~ A wide shot of the vehicle.
~ A close-up of the license plate.
~ A data file containing the precise timestamp, location, and vehicle details.

The Safety Context
This move comes at a critical time. In 2025, road fatalities in Israel rose by 9%, with 428 lives lost. A 2024 State Comptroller report highlighted a desperate need for better enforcement, noting that Israel has only one police car for every 100 km of road, compared to the OECD average of one every 10 km.

By automating speed enforcement, the traffic police hope to free up officers to focus on more complex and dangerous violations that cameras can't catch, such as reckless overtaking, failure to yield to pedestrians, and road rage.

More Volunteers
In a parallel effort to increase road presence, the Traffic Police have begun deploying 234 new patrol vehicles staffed by volunteers and retired officers. This dual approach, high-tech automated cameras combined with increased physical presence, marks a major strategic shift in Israel’s fight against rising road accidents.