2021 was the deadliest year on Idaho roads since 2005

IDAHO FALLS — There were 271 road-related fatalities in Idaho in 2021. That is the most death Idaho has seen on its roads since 2005, according to the Idaho Office of Highway Safety.

“We are disappointed by the number. Even if it’s a small number when it’s your family member or your friend, that’s very impactful,” said Bill Kotowski, with the Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety. “Each of those 271 people that were killed in a crash, had family and friends that they loved and cared for, so it’s really just tragic to see this kind of thing happening on our roads.”

Here is a breakdown of some of the preliminary 2021 crash fatality data for Idaho from the Office of Highway Safety:

• 75 fatalities were due to not wearing a seat belt
• 75 fatalities were due to impairment (alcohol, drugs, prescriptions)
• 80 fatalities were due to aggressive driving (speeding, failure to yield, following too close)

Other contributing circumstances include distraction, inattention, motorcyclists with no helmets, and being asleep, drowsy or fatigued.

“Typically, there’s a lot of data that goes into every crash report. Every crash can have up to three contributing factors,” Kotowski said.

He explained to EastIdahoNews.com at one point in time, Idaho was on a downward trend in fatalities for several years. In fact, in 2020, he said Idaho was one of the few states in the country that saw a decrease in fatalities over the previous year.

“In 2020, we had a pandemic, so there was less traffic on the roads during a few months of the year. The pandemic changed a lot of people — behaviors and in terms of how they travel, where they go and what they do,” Kotowski said. “When fatalities go down, it could be there is less people driving, or it could be because cars are safer or roads are safer.”

He explained there are a lot of different factors that go into it. In 2020, there were 214 fatalities.

“To go from 214 one year to 271 the next was pretty alarming,” Kotowski said.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the release of the National Roadway Safety Strategy report, which addresses these types of issues. In the report, a letter from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says the United States is facing a road crisis.

“Almost 95% of our nation’s transportation deaths occur on America’s streets, roads, and highways, and they are on the rise. An estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020. In the first half of 2021, an estimated 20,160 people died, up 18.4% compared to the first six months of 2020,” Buttigieg wrote.

The report explained five objectives and implementations to try and prevent fatalities such as having safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds, and post-crash care. Click here to read the report about the National Roadway Safety Strategy.

“It’s a pretty complex plan,” Kotowski said.

Kotowski said he’s still looking through the plan. He added his office is constantly working to create safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer speeds. Kotowski said his department works with law enforcement and multiple agencies to try and raise awareness of these issues.

Avoiding fatalities requires everyone being involved and doing their part, he says.

“What I would say to people on the roads is when you are on the roads, give your full attention. Slow down. There are other people on the roads as well. It’s not just people in cars and pickups. There are a lot of people who walk and ride their bicycles,” said Kotowski. “When we are on the roads, we need to be mindful of other road users and how we interact with them. These are our neighbors and our friends, family members, and we just have to look out for each other on the roads.”