Idaho - Fatal Car Crash Statistics
The Idaho Transportation Department publishes vehicle crash reports through the Office of Highway Safety. The reports provide an in-depth review of fatal car accidents reported during the year. According to the 2015 report, the number of fatal car crashes in Idaho was 198, an increase from 175 reported in 2014. The total number of fatalities due to motor vehicle accidents was 216 in 2015, an increase from 186 in 2014. This is a 16.1 % increase from the previous year. The total amount of accidents has also increased. In 2015 the number of accidents was 24,018 while there were 22,134 in 2014.
Fatal Accidents in Idaho
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) collects data on car accidents across the country with the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) provides annual reports using this data. The United States had a total of 32,166 fatal vehicle crashes in 2015 with 35,092 fatalities. This number equates to 10.9 deaths per one hundred thousand people and 1.13 deaths for every one hundred million miles of vehicle travel.
Idaho has a population of 1,654,930, and a total of 16,662 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This means that Idaho had a fatal vehicle death rate of 13.1 deaths per 100,000 people. The rate is 1.3 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. This rate is higher than the national average. In terms of road users, of the deaths 35% were in cars, 40% in pickups or SUVs, large trucks 2%, motorcyclists 14%, and 4% pedestrians. No bicyclist deaths were reported in 2015.
Of the fatal crashes, 61% were due to single-vehicle accidents while 39% were multi-vehicle accidents. 16% took place in urban locations while most of the crashes, 75%, occurred in rural areas. Much of the state is rural.
Idaho Strategic Highway Safety Plan
The Idaho Transportation Department has put in place a Strategic Highway Safety Plan in continuing efforts toward zero deaths on the roadways. The primary goal is to reduce traffic deaths to 185 or below by 2020. The secondary goals are to reduce the fatality rate to 1.1 per 100 million VMT, reduce the amount serious injuries to 1,221 or fewer and reduce the serious injury rate to 7.27 per 100 million VMT.
The plan identifies risky driving behaviors, vulnerable roadway users and types of crashes so that targeted programs can be put in place to address and correct these issues. Risky driving behaviors include aggressive driving, distracted and impaired driving. Vulnerable roadway users are mature drivers, young drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Severe crash types focus on unsafe lane changes, intersections, and commercial motor vehicles. Specific plans are in place to educate and inform drivers through various initiatives and by working with different partners across the state.