Local News 8 investigates: Are pedestrian accidents on the rise in eastern Idaho?

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Are hit-and-run and pedestrian-involved incidents on the rise in eastern Idaho? And if so, what can be done? That is what one viewer asked after seeing a report of hit-and-run accidents in Pocatello and Ammon. He asked us what could be done to make the streets safer and if this was becoming a larger issue. 

According to the Idaho Transportation Department, 2023 was the deadliest year on Idaho roads since 2003.

At least 277 people were killed in traffic crashes, 31 were pedestrians, almost double the amount of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents in 2022.

There were 180 hit-and-run crashes in Bonneville County last year. That's a 20% increase from 2021, according to the numbers released by Sgt. Bryan Lovell with the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office.

Of the accidents in Bonneville County, he confirmed one pedestrian was hit and killed in December.

According to local law enforcement, they expect these issues to continue to grow with the population.

"It's slowly growing, just like it is with everything else that comes with a growing community," Lovell said. "There's going to be a difference between now and ten years ago now and five years ago."

According to Idaho Falls Police, there was an 11% increase in hit-and-run crashes from 2022 to 2023. 67 involved a pedestrian. The accidents occurred in areas where visibility is compromised.

"It could be in a parking lot where people are coming and going and there's not exactly clearly defined lanes of where a pedestrian should or shouldn't be," IFPD PIO Jessica Clements said.

As for what causes these accidents, Sgt. Lovell said it can be a combination of issues that can cause these accidents, including distractions, intoxication and other issues.

Lovell said a majority of the cases they respond to involve aggressive drivers.

"They're impatient," Lovell said. "They're trying to save a little bit of time. You're adding a large amount of risk to what you're doing to you and other people around you just by trying to save a couple of seconds."

Not all crashes are caused by the driver, sometime they are caused by the pedestrian.

"We do have those incidents from time to time," Lovell said. "So, it's important to remind pedestrians and parents to talk to their kids about crossing the street safely and not running out into the road."

Lovell and Clements encourage pedestrians to stay aware of their surroundings, parents should teach their kids the importance of crosswalks and look both ways. Drivers should especially follow the speed limits and rules of the road.

"The pedestrian is always going to lose," Clements said. "And that situation is going be worse for the pedestrian and the person on a bike, the person that's walking, than a person that's inside a car and protected. So, we encourage people to be mindful, to be wary on both sides of it."