The time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends known as the 100 Deadliest Days remained deadly this year. Preliminary data from the Idaho Transportation Department's Office of Highway Safety shows 92 people died on Idaho roads this summer.
Last year, 88 people died during this time frame and in 2019, 92 people died in the summer.
“Summer driving continues to be a dangerous concern in Idaho,” said Office of Highway Safety Manager John Tomlinson.
Four high visibility enforcement campaigns were funded this summer by the Office of Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Law enforcement agencies were provided grant funding for overtime patrols.
Police spent time looking for aggressive and impaired drivers, and those not wearing their seat belts, according to a press release from ITD. OHS ran several media campaigns as well, encouraging drivers to make smart choices when driving.
“While the 100 Deadliest Days may be over, road safety is important to focus on all year,” Tomlinson said. “The work continues to make Idaho a safer place to live, and it’s up to all of us to buckle up, drive engaged and do what we can to help prevent fatal crashes.”
The majority of the 92 people killed were in passenger vehicles, according to the preliminary data. 73 were in vehicles, 15 were motorcycles, three were other (ATV/UTV) and one pedestrian.
ITD says in the 73 vehicle deaths, 31 people were not wearing seatbelts. Failure to maintain a lane was a contributing factor in 17 deaths and six deaths involved inattentive driving.
The data is preliminary and may be subject to change.
