The Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef in his Saturday night class referred to the tragic bus accident that had killed six passengers a week earlier on Route 1, saying that it would be a mitzvah (fulfillment of a commandment) to turn in to police a person who is ‘playing with his phone’ (texting) while driving. “It’s a mitzvah to squeal on such a person to prevent these accidents,” the chief rabbi insisted.
“If you see a driver going wild on the road, passing on the right, passing on the left, right away take down his license plate number and call the police. It’s a mitzvah to tell,” Rabbi Yosef said. He also told his students that if they know of an acquaintance who might commit a traffic violation, such as drinking and driving, they must report him. “If you have a neighbor who’s looking to have a driver’s license, or is learning to drive, and you know he’s a big drunk this neighbor, drinks all the time, and he’s going to drive drunk, it is permitted to squeal on him to the DMV.”
Rabbi Yosef also mentioned a case of epilepsy, whose recurrence might lead to accidents. “Certainly if his neighbor is, God forbid, an epileptic, it is permitted to call up the DMV and to tell them that this person has epilepsy, God forbid he shouldn’t have an attack while driving.”
“It is so very important to study well the laws of traffic, we saw this week what happened, what a terrible tragedy,” Rabbi Yosef concluded, saying each one is asking, “What, I’ll be a ‘moser’ (finger someone)?” He told his students, “These things are about saving lives, be a moser.”
The bus and truck accident on route 1 a week ago killed six passengers and injured 12. The bus driver, Chaim Bitton, has been arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide.