Idaho crash fatalities significantly higher than national average

The number of people dying in fatal crashes on Idaho highways is up significantly and casual driving habits could be behind the increase, according to a new AAA study.

The United States Department of Transportation says that vehicle crash deaths increased 7.2 percent in 2015, nationwide. In Idaho, the Idaho Transportation Department reports a 16.1 percent increase. That’s more than two times the national average.

AAA says a more casual approach to safe driving habits is a factor in the increase. AAA’s 2016 Traffic Safety Culture Index shows drivers are more likely to participate in risky behavior that they would not normally tolerate from their friends or relatives.

“Research shows many of the people who do this behavior generally are demonstrating the behavior in their own lives,” said Matthew Conde, spokesperson for AAA Idaho.

As cellphones provide greater access to information and entertainment, they also become a bigger source of distraction for many drivers, experts say. According to ITD, distracted driving was a factor in 23 percent of Idaho’s motor vehicle crashes in 2015, with 51 people killed that year.

“You’re dividing your attention,” Sgt Tim Hopkins with Idaho State Police said. “So your attention is divided by the person you’re talking to over Bluetooth or listening to the Google maps and you know you’re paying attention to what they are saying than [being] 100-percent focused on your driving and on the road.”

According to the AAA study, most drivers (91.7 percent) believe distracted driving is a “somewhat” or “much bigger” problem than three years ago. At the same time, more than two in three drivers (68.2 percent) say they have talked on a cellphone in the past 30 days; more than 40 percent have read a text or an email during that time frame.

Speeding and red-light running are also counted among the bad habits of many U.S. drivers. Nearly half of drivers (45.6 percent) say they have driven 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on a freeway in the past month, and more than one in three drivers admit to driving through a red light in the past 30 days, when they could have stopped safely.

Nearly one in three U.S. drivers has a friend or relative who has been seriously injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash.

“Many Americans have experienced the personal loss that follows when safe driving is overlooked,” said Conde. “When drivers don’t feel personally responsible to behave safely behind the wheel, tragedy isn’t far behind.”

Aggressive driving was a contributing factor in 52 percent of Idaho’s motor vehicle crashes in 2015, leading to 12,383 crashes and 77 fatalities — an increase of nearly 7 percent.

“Pay attention,” said Sgt. Hopkins. “Pay attention to the road and like I said, pay attention to the road in front of you, pay attention to what you’ve passed, the road behind you and pay attention to your surroundings, left and right lane depending on where you’re at.”