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Crash fatalities drop 20 percent from 2010 to 2011

Brent Jennings, PE
Highway Safety Manager
The Crash Report for 2011 will be published this week so I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the highlights about crashes in Idaho. This 2011 crash report will be on our website in the near future. Along with the rest of the nation, Idaho saw a significant decrease in fatalities in 2011.

In Idaho, the number of motor vehicle crashes decreased by 7.6 percent, from 22,555 in 2010 to 20,833 in 2011. The number of fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes decreased from 209 in 2010 to 167 in 2011, a 20-percent decrease.

The number of fatal crashes decreased from 185 in 2010 to 152 in 2011. The number of serious injuries decreased from 1,396 in 2010 to 1,293 in 2011, a 7.4 percent decrease.

Idaho’s fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.08 in 2011, down from 1.34 the previous year.

While 62 percent of all motor vehicle crashes occurred on urban roadways, 80 percent of the fatal motor vehicle crashes occurred on rural roadways in 2011.

After increasing in 2010, fatalities resulting from impaired driving crashes decreased in 2011 by 31 percent. However, 40 percent of all fatalities resulted from impaired driving, which is consistent with most other recent years.

Of the 66 persons killed in impaired driving crashes, 95 percent were either the impaired driver, a person riding with an impaired driver, and impaired bicyclist, or an impaired pedestrian.

Idaho’s observed seat belt use increased from 78 percent in 2010 to 79 percent in 2011. While the observed rate was 79 percent, only 32 percent of the motor vehicle occupants killed in crashes were wearing seat belts.

If everyone had been wearing seat belts, 39 of the 77 unbelted motor vehicle victims may have been saved.

Aggressive driving was a contributing factor in 49 percent of the motor vehicle crashes and 64 people were killed in aggressive driving crashes in 2011.

Distracted driving was a factor in 24 percent of the motor vehicle crashes on 2011, and 41 people were killed in distracted driving crashes.

Youthful drivers, ages 15 to 19, continue to be over-involved in motor vehicle crashes. In 2011, youthful drivers were 2.6 times as likely as all other drivers to be involved in a fatal or injury crash. There were 34 people killed in crashes involving youthful drivers.

Ten pedestrians died, but there were no bicyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2011.

The number of motorcyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes decreased from 28 in 2010 to 17 in 2011. Almost two-thirds (65 percent) of fatal motorcycle crashes in 2011 involved just the motorcycle, while more than one-third (35 percent) of fatal motorcycle crashes involved an impaired driver.

Fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles increased by 57 percent in 2011, while the number of injury crashes involving commercial motor vehicles increased by 11 percent. There were 26 people killed and 651 people injured in commercial motor vehicle crashes in 2011.

In 2012 Idaho the number of fatalities are on the rise and the Office of Highway Safety is working to pinpoint the cause. The numbers so far for 2012 are shown below for your review.

While 2011 was encouraging, much work is left to be done as we all work Toward Zero Deaths. Thanks to all our highway safety partners for the progress made in 2011.