As Idahoans prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety is launching a statewide impaired-driving mobilization focused on keeping communities safe. From June 28 to July 5, 2026, law enforcement agencies across Idaho will increase high-visibility patrols to stop impaired drivers and prevent tragedies before they happen.
This year’s effort aligns with Idaho’s A250 theme, which emphasizes that nothing is more patriotic than taking care of the people who live, work, and travel in your own community. OHS is encouraging Idahoans to plan ahead, choose a designated driver, and thank the friends and family members who step up to get everyone home safely. Those small choices protect lives, and they reflect the best of who we are.
The mobilization comes as OHS reports a 1% increase in fatalities from impaired driving crashes, rising from 86 in 2024 to 87 in 2025. Impaired driving continued to account for more than a third (35%) of all traffic crash fatalities in Idaho last year.
Of the 87 people killed in impaired driving crashes in 2025, 76 (87%) were either the impaired driver, a passenger riding with an impaired driver, or an impaired pedestrian.
“Drivers aged 30 and under are involved in impaired driving crashes at a disproportionately high rate,” said Josephine Middleton, Highway Safety Manager with OHS. “It’s encouraging to see fewer fatalities in some areas, but the numbers show the problem is far from solved. As we look ahead to America’s 250th birthday, it’s worth remembering that nothing is more patriotic than protecting the people in your own community. Choosing not to drive impaired is one of the simplest ways to keep your neighbors safe.”
ITD continues to prioritize education and prevention through partnerships with law enforcement, community organizations, and youth engagement programs. The department urges Idahoans to plan ahead, use designated drivers, and make responsible choices every time they get behind the wheel.
Impaired driving is preventable. If you feel different, you drive different.
For more information on impaired driving prevention efforts in Idaho, visit shift-idaho.org.
