Traffic safety grants open: apply now to make Idaho roads safer
BOISE – The Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is accepting grant applications for Fiscal Year 2026. If your community organization has ideas to improve traffic safety and reduce fatalities, now’s your chance to secure funding to make a difference.
In 2024, preliminary data indicates that Idaho saw 236 traffic-related fatalities. “Communities know their challenges best,” said Highway Safety Manager, Josephine Middleton. “These grants empower local organizations to create programs that promote safer behaviors and save lives.”
Focus Areas For Grants:
- Impaired Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Seatbelts
- Child Passenger Safety
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
- Motorcycle Safety
- Young Drivers
- EMS Post Crash Care
How to Apply
Find the application and instructions at www.itd.idaho.gov/safety under “Grant Programs & Funding.” Applications are due by 5 p.m. MST on Friday, February 14, 2025. Submit via email to ohsgrants@itd.idaho.gov or by mail to:
ITD Office of Highway Safety
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707-1129
Incomplete applications won’t be considered, so make sure to follow all instructions.
Together, we can tackle unsafe behaviors and save lives on Idaho roads. Apply now and be part of the change.
Update: The closure for SH-21 has been extended and now includes Idaho City (milepost 41) to Lowman (milepost 72).
The Idaho Transportation Department will close State Highway 21 from Grandjean to Banner Summit this afternoon due to high avalanche risk.
The current weather pattern is likely to trigger avalanches in this section of highway. The anticipated closure will begin at 5 p.m. today.
Motorists needing to use the roadway are advised to make the trip immediately or plan to use alternate routes, like State Highway 75.
The ITD avalanche crew monitors the snowpack along this section of highway to forecast the risk of avalanches large enough to reach the roadway. This practice allows the department to keep the highway open during the winter months with a reasonable confidence of safety for the traveling public.
There are nearly 70 avalanche paths in this 11-mile stretch of SH-21. Avalanches can be triggered without warning, so there is no parking or stopping within this section of road during the winter.
The highway will reopen when the snowpack has stabilized and the risk of active avalanches is reduced. Updates on closures and openings will be posted on 511.idaho.gov.
BOISE – As Idahoans prepare for holiday gatherings and festive celebrations, the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) reminds everyone to make a sober ride home part of their Christmas plans.
“All anyone wants for Christmas is to have their loved ones safe and together,” said Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “Too many lives have been devastated by senseless drunk driving crashes. By planning ahead for a sober ride, we can prevent heartache and keep the season joyful for years to come.”
In 2023, impaired driving in Idaho caused 1,708 crashes and resulted in 105 fatalities. These tragedies serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers of driving under the influence.
To help ensure a safe holiday season, OHS encourages everyone to take steps to avoid impaired driving. Whether it’s designating a sober driver, using a ride-share service, or making arrangements to stay where you’re celebrating, planning ahead can save lives.
For more information and resources on safe driving, visit Shift Idaho and Be Here Tomorrow.
Let’s work together to keep Idaho’s roads safe and ensure everyone has a magical Christmas season.
Idaho’s iconic snow-covered landscapes are here for the season, and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is urging drivers to prepare for winter road conditions. Whether you’re a seasoned winter driver or facing your first Idaho winter, being “Idaho Ready” is essential for safety.
“There is so much to love about Idaho in the snow, but drivers need to be cautious,” said ITD Director Scott Stokes. “Giving driving your full attention and taking extra precautions could make all the difference this winter.”
ITD’s winter maintenance team works tirelessly to clear over 13,000 lane miles of highways across the state. Last winter alone, 429 plows traveled a combined 4.5 million miles. However, safe roads require effort from drivers too.
Essential Winter Driving Tips from ITD:
- Give snowplows space: The safest place to be is a comfortable distance behind the plow.
- Prepare your vehicle: Check your windshield wiper fluid, battery, and tires. Consider winter tires or chains for added traction.
- Pack a winter emergency kit: Include items like a first aid kit, blankets, jumper cables, tire chains, and non-perishable food.
- Plan your trip: Download the Idaho 511 app or visit idaho.gov for real-time road conditions.
- Drive cautiously: Slow down, increase stopping distance, and avoid driver assistance systems like cruise control, lane-keeping, and other auto-pilot features on wet or icy roads. Remember, bridges and overpasses freeze first.
- Stay calm if you skid: Gently brake and turn into the skid, avoiding overcorrection.
“Idaho’s winter roads can be challenging, but with preparation, attentiveness, and patience, we can all stay safe,” added Stokes.
For more tips on preparing for winter driving, visit itd.idaho.gov/travel.
The Idaho Transportation Department has selected 12 winners from its first annual Name a Snowplow contest! The names will be featured on 12 plows across the state. The winners are:
North Idaho:
- The Berminator, Post Falls Middle School
- Big Snowplowski, Lakeland Middle School
North-Central Idaho
- Alpha Storm One, employee’s child from Grangeville Elementary/Middle School
- Plowabunga!, employee’s child from Lewiston High School
Southwest Idaho
- Clearapathra, Hillside Junior High School
- NoMoreMr.IceGuy, Fairmont Junior High School
South-Central Idaho
- Plowasaurus Rex, employee’s child who is homeschooled
- Darth Blader, employee’s child from Wendell Middle School
Southeast Idaho
- Snow Daddy, Franklin Middle School
- Snow Ranger, employee’s child from Blackfoot Middle School
East Idaho
- Antisnowcial, Swan Valley School
- POW POW KA PLOW, Rigby Middle School
Most of the names were submitted by eighth grade classrooms across the state. Because this was a new contest this year, a few areas needed extra help coming up with names. ITD asked employees and their children to get involved. The 12 winning names were selected by an anonymous vote by ITD employees.
Once the plow names are installed, ITD will coordinate educational visits with the winners to teach the students about snowplows and safe winter driving.
“On behalf of safety for our over 400 plow drivers in Idaho, thank you to all the students and teachers for getting involved! It really helps us spread the word about winter driving safety,” said ITD Chief Operations Officer and Chief Deputy Director Dan McElhinney. “Please look for those named plows and give them a wave and plenty of space to work if you see them out on highways helping our communities.”
There are 14 open range signs on State Highway 51 from the Nevada border to north of Bruneau that flash when cows are near the highway. Despite these flashing alerts, livestock continue to be hit on this stretch, with four cows struck and killed in the past month alone.
Wilmer Biggs, a transportation technician with the Bruneau maintenance crew, says the highway serves mainly local traffic with drivers who could use a reminder of how collisions can affect them and the livestock. Biggs noted black cows are especially vulnerable to being struck because they are harder to see at night.
“I have come out the next morning after a cow was hit, and the baby is still standing by its dead mom,” Transportation Technician Wilmer Biggs said. “It’s tragic and can be avoided by slowing down and realizing this is an open range area. Drivers need to plan for cattle to be on this highway.”
Tips for driving in open range areas:
- Reduce speed at night: Visibility is limited, and black cows can blend into the darkness.
- Stay alert: Look for reflective eyes or movement near the road.
- Plan ahead: Assume cattle may be present, especially in known open range areas.
Biggs previously transformed advisory signs from a defunct federal radio alert system into flashing open range signs and hopes to convert more in the future. Read more here.
Open range cattle can be found on SH-51 and other Idaho highways year-round. Idaho is an open range state, meaning cattle and other livestock have the right of way. If livestock is hit on an open range, the owner of the animal is not liable for damages to the driver or the vehicle. Drivers may be liable for injuries or death of the animal if found to have been negligent.
For the first time ever, the Idaho Transportation Department and the Idaho State Police are teaming up to offer free, informative, and engaging winter driving safety classes in the Treasure Valley to help drivers prepare for icy roads and snowy conditions. This new initiative is designed to help drivers of all ages and experience levels navigate Idaho’s winter roads safely.
With many new residents in the Treasure Valley, there’s an increasing need for education on how to handle winter driving conditions. While the course is open to all drivers, it is particularly geared toward young drivers and those new to the area who may be facing their first winter driving season.
The class will be taught by ISP troopers and ITD operators, covering a wide range of important topics, including:
- Proper vehicle preparation
- Equipment for winter driving
- Understanding road conditions
- Driving tips for snow and ice
- How to handle crashes
- Snowplow safety
Seating is limited, and classes are filling up quickly. Attendees must register online to reserve a seat. Click here for Wednesday night class or click here for the Saturday morning class. Additional courses may be scheduled at a later date.
Class Schedule:
Wednesday, Dec. 4
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
ITD District 3 Building, 8150 W. Chinden Blvd., Boise, ID
Saturday, Dec. 7
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
ITD District 3 Building, 8150 W. Chinden Blvd., Boise, ID
*New class added!*
Register for Wednesday, Dec. 11
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
ITD District 3 Building, 8150 W. Chinden Blvd., Boise, ID
Winter weather can be unpredictable, especially on the roads. As a driver, your first and last line of defense is your seat belt. Starting today, more police officers will be on the roads for a statewide seat belt enforcement campaign.
From Friday, November 22 through the end of the month, over 50 state and local law enforcement agencies are partnering with the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety (OHS) for extra patrols focused on seat belt safety.
During the winter there is a lot that is outside of our control, from the weather to the behavior of other drivers. “What happens in your car is totally under your control, so slow down, drive engaged and buckle up. Let your seat belt do its job of saving your life in the event of a crash,” explained OHS Occupant Protection Program Specialist Tabitha Smith.
If you are in a crash, a buckled seat belt reduces your risk of death by 45% and risk of serious injury by 50%. Last year, 85 people in vehicles who were not buckled up died in traffic crashes.
Data from OHS’s annual seatbelt survey shows that 86% of Idahoans wear their seatbelts. Expect to see more police on the roads in the next few weeks focusing on stopping and educating drivers about seat belt safety, and hopefully saving lives.
The Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho State Police are teaming up to provide a free, informative and engaging winter driving safety class next Thursday as the region prepares for icy roads and adverse weather.
While this course is beneficial for drivers of all ages and skill levels, it is especially geared to young drivers and anyone new to the area who may be preparing for his or her first winter driving season.
Courses will be taught by ISP troopers and ITD operators, covering a wide range of topics from proper vehicle preparation, equipment, road conditions, crashes, and snowplow safety. Participants who attend the course will receive a certificate of completion and be eligible for a 10% discount on a set of new snow tires at the Twin Falls Blue Lakes Les Schwab Tire location.
Thursday, November 14
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Idaho State Police Department
418 W Yakima Ave
Jerome, ID
Seating is limited. Attendees must register online to reserve a seat. Additional courses may be scheduled at a later date.
The Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho State Police are teaming up to provide a free, informative and engaging winter driving safety class on Nov. 20 in Lewiston as the region prepares for icy roads and adverse weather.
While this course is beneficial for drivers of all ages and skill levels, it is especially geared to young drivers and anyone new to the area who may be preparing for his or her first winter driving season.
The course will be taught by ISP troopers and ITD operators, covering a wide range of topics from proper vehicle preparation, equipment, road conditions, driving tips, crashes and snowplow safety.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
3 – 4:30 PM
A Neil DeAtley Career Technical Education Center
3201 Cecil Andrus Way
Lewiston, ID 83501
Seating is limited. Attendees should register online.
Additional course may be scheduled at a later date.
