JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Three prominent rabbinical judges in Bnei Brak have issued an unusually forceful ruling calling for a stronger fight against dangerous driving, declaring that road safety and compliance with traffic laws are both a religious and civil obligation.

Rabbi Sariel Rosenberg, Rabbi Yehuda Silman and Rabbi Yitzchak Mordechai Rubin of the Bnei Brak Rabbinical Court published the ruling Wednesday under the title “And You Shall Guard Yourselves Very Carefully.”(V’Nishmartem). The rabbis warned that careless driving constitutes a continuing danger to human life and that those who disregard safety rules could potentially violate the grave prohibition against bloodshed.

The ruling emphasizes that traffic regulations are not merely government recommendations but must be strictly followed as part of the obligation to protect human life.

Particular attention is given to distracted driving, including the use of cellphones by drivers. The rabbis specifically condemned writing, dialing and talking on a phone while driving, describing such behavior as placing the lives of passengers, pedestrians and other motorists at risk. The ruling also focuses on drivers of passenger-transport services, urging the community to take the issue especially seriously when a driver’s actions put multiple passengers at risk.

Perhaps the most significant portion of the statement addresses what a person should do after witnessing dangerous driving. The rabbis instruct anyone who sees a driver engaging in dangerous behavior to warn the driver immediately, even if the driver is a friend or family member. If the driver continues the dangerous conduct, the person who witnessed it should consult a rabbinic authority regarding further action, including contacting the appropriate authorities in order to prevent the driver from continuing to endanger others. The ruling says that preventing a threat to human life takes precedence over concerns about reporting another person to government authorities.

The issue is particularly significant in the charedi community, where questions involving the reporting of fellow Jews to state authorities have historically been subject to halachic considerations. In this case, however, the rabbis make clear that the prevention of a potentially fatal accident is the overriding concern.

The rabbis also emphasize that dangerous driving should be addressed before an accident occurs, rather than waiting until someone is injured or killed.

Their statement comes as Israel continues to struggle with a serious road-safety crisis. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, 459 people were killed in road crashes in 2025, the highest annual toll in 19 years. There were 438 fatal crashes during the year. Preliminary figures for the first four months of 2026 showed 139 road deaths, still a substantial toll despite a decline compared with the same period in 2025.

The National Road Safety Authority has identified distracted driving, dangerous overtaking, impaired driving and aggressive driving among the factors contributing to Israel’s road deaths.

A facsimile of the original Hebrew ruling, bearing the signatures of the three rabbinical judges, was published online by JDN.