IDAHO, USA — Last year was the deadliest year on public Idaho roads in 20 years, with an estimated 277 people having been killed in some form of traffic accident, according to Idaho Office of Highway Safety preliminary data.
The last time Idaho witnessed a deadlier year was in 2003, when 293 people died.
Every category saw an increase of at least 25%, with pedestrian deaths nearly doubling in just one year. In 2022, there were 16 pedestrian deaths compared to 31 in 2023. Motorcycle deaths increased from 29 in 2022 to 40 in 2023.
Out of 195 individuals inside a vehicle and killed in a crash, data shows 105 were not wearing a seat belt.
"Our mission is safety; we want everyone getting home safely at the end of every day," ITD Spokesperson Ellen Mattila said. "So, it's really troubling to see those numbers."
Top contributing circumstances to traffic fatalities:
- Speeding
- Alcohol/drug impairment
- Failure to yield/obey a stop sign or signal
- Inattention/distracted
- Drove left of centerline/failure to maintain lane
- Overcorrecting
- Improper overtaking (changing of lanes)
Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram was unsurprised by the data because a lot of people "drive recklessly." He said recent growth only compounded issues around unsafe driving.
"For the City of Caldwell, we have a lot of construction zones, and people are driving fast; they're cutting people off," he said. "I think people just need to slow down, take a deep breath, put their seatbelt on and just chill out."
Ingram also recommended actually stopping at stop signs and giving yourself more than enough time to get places, especially during extreme winter weather.
ITD distributes federal money to programs for Idaho drivers designed to help reduce death and severe injuries on the roads, Mattila said. Applications for local governments, law enforcement agencies, schools and nonprofits, etc., are open through the end of January.
Additionally, OHS offers mini grants throughout the year for traffic safety community education and outreach. Interested people can contact the Idaho Office of Highway Safety at (208)334-8112 or email OHSGrants@itd.idaho.gov.
Traffic fatalities by district and county:
- District 1
- Benewah – 4
- Boundary – 1
- Bonner – 5
- Kootenai – 21
- Shoshone – 1
- District 2
- Clearwater – 4
- Idaho – 9
- Latah – 2
- Lewis – 0
- Nez Perce – 9
- District 3
- Ada – 31
- Adams – 1
- Boise – 8
- Canyon – 32
- Elmore – 11
- Gem – 5
- Owyhee – 2
- Payette – 8
- Valley – 3
- Washington – 2
- District 4
- Blaine – 4
- Camas – 0
- Cassia – 8
- Gooding – 3
- Jerome – 18
- Lincoln – 2
- Minidoka – 4
- Twin Falls – 13
- District 5
- Bannock – 8
- Bear Lake – 3
- Bingham – 9
- Caribou – 2
- Franklin – 1
- Oneida – 0
- Power -1
- District 6
- Bonneville – 17
- Butte – 2
- Clark – 0
- Custer – 1
- Fremont – 4
- Jefferson – 8
- Lemhi – 3
- Madison – 2
- Teton – 5
Again, all 2023 data is preliminary and subject to change. Mattila said the final numbers will be published during the summer.
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