Idaho, 115 motor-vehicle deaths already in 2016

Our highways may be getting more dangerous as the years go by. There have already been over 19,000 motor-vehicle deaths in the country for the first six months of 2016, and Idaho is pretty high on the list.

Compared to the other states, Idaho is number five. The Gem State has an increase of 37 percent in vehicle deaths since last year. Also from January to June of 2016, Idaho has already seen 115 deaths caused by motor accidents.

“We’re all in a hurry, we’re all busy, life is busy and exciting. But we have to be very careful that when we get on the road, we realize that we need to be very alert and attentive. And just pay attention, because we’re driving a big machine that’s heavy and going fast,” said ITD district 6 public information specialist Bruce King.

The National Safety Council believes low gas prices are part of the problem. With more people on the roads, increased traffic can lead to a higher amount of accidents and deaths.

“There is more traffic on the road now than there’s ever been, and fuel prices have gone down from where they were years ago. Regrettably, serious injury crashes are on the rise in Idaho and in many places around the country,” said King.

Speed limits have gotten higher, and distractions are getting worse. There isn’t even an Idaho state law banning holding a cell phone and talking on it while driving.

“The idea of using electronic devices when you drive has been discussed by our legislatures, and I’m sure it’ll be an ongoing issue. Here in Idaho, we just need to be very attentive to what we’re doing as we’re driving, and we need to be very careful we don’t fall in the bad habit of being an aggressive driver,” said King.

If this national trend continues, we could see motor-vehicle deaths top over 40,000 by the end of the year. That’ll be the first time the nation has had a number that high in vehicle deaths in nine years.