Untitled Document

Stay Alive at 25 – and all other ages; drive with caution

Brent Jennings, PE
Highway Safety Manager
If your past weekend was anything like mine, then you know that spring is on the way, and with it comes warmer weather and the many outdoor activities we all enjoy from living in Idaho. Also on the horizon is the end of school, and that means young people (both in age and spirit) will be driving more.

During my late teen years I worked for Quality Electric in Boise and my job involved delivering electrical material to construction sites all over southwestern Idaho during the summer. The owner of the company always reminded me of the responsibility of driving and that with a full load I was driving a “5,000 pound bullet.”

His concern for my safety was genuine, and the positive lessons learned are remembered today.

In Idaho young drivers (2008 to 2010) represented 13 percent of all of the drivers involved in fatal and serious injury crashes. Males represented 57 percent of the drivers involved in fatal and serious injury crashes, but represented 66 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes. Most (59 percent) of the vehicles involved in fatal and serious injury youthful driver crashes were driving straight, while 13 percent were turning left and 10 percent were negotiating a curve.

While there is concern regarding youth driving, there is also hope. Idaho has a program for youth drivers called “Alive at 25”. This program supplements a formal driver’s training course and provides important information about the dangers facing young motorists and how to remain safe on the road.

The course is 4 -1/2 hours long, takes place in an interactive classroom setting, and includes instructional videos and class discussion. It is different from driver's education in that this is not a behind the wheel driving course, but an interactive course. Alive at 25 is designed to teach young drivers to be aware of many of the typical driving hazards facing them.

Recently one graduate of the Alive at 25 program commented the instructor was excellent and that “… he definitely changed a lot of lives tonight. I know he changed by life and how I think and act about driving. I just want him to know that. I think he saved my life tonight.”

This is a very powerful and positive message.

Here is a link that will help answer any frequently asked questions on Alive at 25.

I encourage you to take a look and if you have any questions regarding Idaho’s Alive at 25 program, please contact Margaret Goertz within our Office of Highway Safety at (208) 334-8104 or margaret.goertz@itd.idaho.gov.

Here is to spring and the outdoor activities it brings. Safe driving by all ensures we continue to enjoy our quality of life together as we all move Towards Zero Deaths on all roadways in Idaho.