A National Road Safety Authority report presented to Minister for Transport Shaul Mofaz on Tuesday shows a nine percent drop in car accident fatalities in the first half of 2007, but reveals that Arab fatalities have remained the same.

According to the report 210 road fatalities were recorded between January and June this year, down from 231 in the same period last year. Ministry data indicates these are the lowest road death figures since 1966. The total number of accidents dropped 11 percent in the same period, from 8,959 in 2006 to 7,990 in 2007.

Arab Israelis accounted for 36 percent of fatal accident victims, despite the fact they represent 20 percent of the population. The number of Jews injured on the road dropped 20 percent, while the number of Israeli Arabs injured remained unchanged.

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An NRSA official said 40 million shekels would be invested in the non-Jewish sector over the coming year in order to reduce deaths to a similar number. He added that the majority of Arab Israeli deaths occurred close to the home.

Mofaz said the report proves that adequate funding can reduce road fatalities. Ministry officials confirmed the drop is a result of increased spending on traffic law enforcement, education and awareness-raising. Greater judicial severity with offending drivers also forced numbers down, including extended prison terms for grave offenses.

A budget increase of 250 percent over the past three years facilitated the implementation of various programs, with a further increase from 400 million shekels to 580 million shekels planned for 2008.