45 lives lost: ‘100 Deadliest Days’ a grim reality in Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS — At the midpoint of “The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” Idaho State Police estimate 45 people have already died on Idaho roads this summer, and 15 people have been killed on Idaho roads in the last 10 days.
It’s a “devastating” trend law enforcement is hoping to stem.
“We are partnering to target the violations that cause crashes,” said Capt. Chris Weadlick, commander of Idaho State Police District 6 in Idaho Falls. “Aggressive driving, distracted driving, following too close — these are the behaviors that are causing our crashes.”
With that in mind, Idaho State Police is partnering with law enforcement across the state to ramp up enforcement efforts through the end of July.
This is the second time this summer that state and local law enforcement agencies have partnered up in hopes of intercepting problematic driving before it turns into crashes. A previous step-up in enforcement was focused on distracted driving. For the rest of July, the focus is on aggressive drivers.
“Expect to see more officers on the road looking for speeding, tailgating and other aggressive driving behaviors,” according to an ISP news release.
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Weadlick noted that District 6 polices 9.5 counties, and troopers are seeing the same violations in all of them — no matter the type of road or time of day.
“There is no roadway exempt from aggressive or distracted driving,” he told EastIdahoNews.com. “We are seeing a lot of distracted driving. A lot of vehicles traveling on a straight stretch of road, in the middle of the day, driving off the side of the road, overcorrecting and then crashing.”
Why are these 100 days so deadly?
ISP Lt. Mike Winans of District 5 in Pocatello said the primary reason the roads become so deadly at this time of year is the increase in traffic.
“There’s a lot of people that are on vacation and coming through our area, so we see a lot more traffic on the interstates and on the state highways,” Winans said.
Generally speaking, troopers see an uptick in impaired driving, he said, because “there are a lot of holidays that are in the summer months.”
Winans said distracted driving remains an issue in these months, as it is year-round.
During the summer months the roads are much nicer, so Winans said this could also be a factor.
“You’re not dealing with snow or ice, so people tend to speed a little bit more,” he said. “If they’re in a hurry to get to their vacation spot or their destination, then they push the speed limit a little bit more than they would maybe in the winter.”
Slowing down the number of deaths
Weadlick acknowledged that drivers are improving in some areas, like observing the move-over law. However, he stressed the importance of wearing a seat belt and reporting alarming driving behaviors.
“We arrest many daytime DUIs because of phone calls that come in from the public,” he said. “Calling *477 for an impaired, distracted or aggressive driver is a valid use of the emergency system. If you are concerned or alarmed, call the dispatch center.”
Ellen Mattila, public information officer for the Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety, told EastIdahoNews.com if people see someone driving in recklessly, they shouldn’t hesitate to report it.
“If you see someone who is being aggressive or even bordering into road rage … do not engage. Try to avoid that individual. Don’t try to keep up with them,” Mattila said.
The same goes for distracted drivers It is best to avoid a suspected distracted driver on the road, she said.
Mattila also suggested letting someone know where you are going if you are heading out on a camping trip or somewhere secluded. If you are in a crash or get stranded, that person can help authorities.
Winans said anyone driving distracted or aggressively could face a variety of consequences — from a simple citation to jail time.
“I don’t have a whole lot of tolerance for that kind of thing. I lost my sense of humor when I started investigating fatal crashes,” he said.