We all know the frustrations of modern life and juggling a busy schedule, but speed limits are put in place to protect you, your family, friends, and all road users. Law enforcement agencies across the state will be patrolling Idaho roads for aggressive drivers between July 19 and August 11 to help ensure everyone can travel to their final destinations safely and enjoy the last hurrahs of summer.
So far this summer, 40* people have died in crashes on Idaho roads, bringing the year-to-date total to 114* deaths.
“Speed limits save lives and you can too by slowing down, buckling up, and driving engaged,” explained Denise Dinnauer, aggressive driving program specialist with the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS). “Driving engaged means free from distractions, actively scanning the road ahead, and following the speed limit to safely react to any dangers that occur.”
OHS prepares an annual traffic crash report. It is a statistical analysis of all crashes that happen on Idaho roads each year. The full 2023 Idaho Traffic Crash Report is now available online.
The report shows that aggressive driving was a contributing factor in 50 percent of motor vehicle crashes and 103 people were killed in aggressive driving crashes on Idaho roadways last year. While 74% of all aggressive driving crashes occurred in urban areas, 61% of the fatal aggressive driving crashes occurred in rural areas. Drivers under age 19 were 43.9 times as likely to be involved in aggressive driving crashes and drivers 20-24 were 1.9 times as likely to be involved in aggressive driving crashes.
*Preliminary data, subject to change