BOISE, Idaho — The period dubbed the "100 Deadliest Days" by Idaho's Office of Highway Safety has come to a close, and a tragic trend continues in the Gem State, according to preliminary data.
The OHS, which is under the Idaho Dept. of Transportation, said 92 people died in traffic crashes on Idaho roads from the start of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Of those deaths, 73 people were in passenger vehicles -- cars, pickups, or sport utility vehicles; 15 were on motorcycles; three were on an ATV or UTV; and one was a pedestrian.
In the 73 passenger-vehicle deaths, 31 people were not wearing seat belts.
Failure to maintain a lane was a contributing factor in 17 fatalities.
Six fatalities involved inattentive driving.
Those numbers for summer of 2021 are preliminary and subject to change.
The summer days are called the "100 Deadliest" because there typically is an increase in fatal crashes, not just in Idaho, but across the nation.
88 people were killed in crashes in Idaho during the summer of 2020 -- amounting to more than 40 percent of crash deaths for the entire year. As in 2021, 92 people died in fatal crashes during the summer of 2019.
"Summer driving continues to be a dangerous concern in Idaho," said Office of Highway Safety Manager John Tomlinson.
The Office of Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funded four high-visibility enforcement campaigns, providing law enforcement agencies grant funding for overtime patrols. Officers throughout Idaho spent time looking for aggressive and impaired drivers, and those not wearing their seat belts. OHS also ran several media campaigns encouraging drivers to make smart choices behind the wheel.
"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."
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