Category: DMV

BOISE—As Idaho approaches the end of the 100 Deadliest Days, drivers should remember to include a sober ride home in their Labor Day plans. The Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) has partnered with Idaho State Police (ISP) and more than 50 other law enforcement agencies for enhanced DUI patrols this coming holiday weekend. Expect to see more officers on the roads to stop impaired drivers before they cause harm. 

“As law enforcement professionals, we are dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of our communities. The act of impaired driving not only defies the principles we uphold but also endangers the lives we’ve sworn to protect,” said Colonel Kedrick Wills of the Idaho State Police. “This Labor Day weekend, let us all unite in our commitment to safety by making responsible choices. Through intensified patrol and advanced expertise, we are committed to creating an environment free from the dangers of impaired driving.”  

According to data gathered by OHS, 110 people were killed as a result of impaired driving crashes last year. That represents more than half of all fatalities in 2022.  

Labor Day marks the end of the 100 Deadliest Days, the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when Idaho sees a spike in fatal and serious injury crashes. This year to date 164 people have been killed in crashes on Idaho roads, 89 of those fatalities happened during the 100 Deadliest Days.  

Sadly 2023 has been deadlier than 2022 so far. This time last year there were 133 fatalities on Idaho roads, versus 164 this year.  

“It’s a stark reminder of the dangers of impaired driving, aggressive driving, and distracted driving,” explained Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “We can help to keep ourselves and others safe by driving engaged, putting down the distractions, driving sober, and always wearing our seatbelts.” 

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Idaho Department of Education, Idaho STEM Action Center, and Horizon Credit Union have teamed up on new math resources for Algebra 1 students. A coalition of math educators from across Idaho developed a series of lessons, called “Do the math. Save a life,” that use Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) crash data to teach Algebra and data analysis skills.

“So much data is thrown out in the world these days, and it’s important to empower students to be critical consumers of data. Being able to understand and interpret data and statistics is an essential skill for modern society,” explained Josie Derrick, Lead Math Innovator at One Stone and part of the team that created the lessons. “By providing students with opportunities to use math as a tool to think critically and engage in discussions where there may not be a “right” answer, we build skills for students to become more engaged citizens in the future.”

OHS collects data on all crashes that happen on Idaho roads and displays it on publicly available dashboards. The new math program uses that data to provide examples of math in real life and teaches students lessons like scatter plots, frequency tables, and analyzing claims.

“We are all more curious about what’s happening in our own communities,” said Erin Corwine, part of the team that created the lessons and K-8 Mathematics Instructional Specialist at the Developing Mathematical Thinking Institute, Idaho. “Because the dataset is specific to Idaho, students can interact with data points unique to their counties, and in some cases, even specific intersections, so there’s relevance in the learning.”

OHS data shows Idaho teens are 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a crash than other age groups.

“Not only are these lessons teaching them math, but they are also teaching teens about the dangers of distracted, aggressive, and impaired driving,” said Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “We want them to understand the risks to they can make safe choices once they start learning how to drive.”

Horizon Credit Union provided financial support for the creation of the math lessons.

The “Do the math. Save a life” program will be presented to math teachers from around the state at the Imagine the Places You’ll Go STEM Conference on August 3 and 4 in Boise. Part of the conference will include a field trip to see the mathematics that ITD employees use in their jobs. Boise Police will conduct an actual car crash demonstration and will be available to discuss the science behind crash investigations. Members of the media are welcome to observe the field trip on August 4 from 1-3:30 pm at the ITD Annex, 3293 W Jordan St, Boise, ID 83703.

Educators who want to review and use the new lessons can download materials from https://shift-idaho.org/do-the-math/.

This upcoming holiday weekend marks the beginning of a dangerous time for Idaho drivers- the 100 Deadliest Days. The 100 Deadliest Days are the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when Idaho sees a spike in fatal and serious injury crashes. The Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) want to caution drivers to be extra vigilant and careful as they head out for summer travel and recreation.

“We want everyone to have an amazing summer making great memories with their family and friends,” said OHS Program Manager Josephine Middleton, “So we are asking everyone to put down the distractions, drive the speed limit, wear a seatbelt and plan a sober ride home if you are drinking, so we can all make it home safely.”

A variety of factors converge to make this a dangerous time on Idaho roads. During the summer more people are out of school or work, taking vacations, recreating, and celebrating. These social factors lead to higher instances of distracted driving, aggressive driving, and impaired driving, making the roads more dangerous for everyone, even safe drivers who are doing everything right. We drive safe vehicles that come with technology and safety equipment as standard, yet the data shows that fatal and serious injury crashes increase during this time of year.

During the 100 Deadliest Days last year, there were 72 fatal crashes, and 80 people died. So far in 2023, 75* people have died in traffic crashes on Idaho roads, and we are on track to meet the fatality numbers for 2021 which was our worst year since 2005. The year-to-date total from the same time last year was 52 fatalities.
*Preliminary data