A day in the life of highway safety

Brent Jennings, PE
Highway Safety Manager

I often get asked about crashes and the various aspects or categories of these crashes. I want to share with you the concept of the Idaho crash clock for 2012. Doing so may give us a chance to pause, reflect and put vehicle crashes in perspective. In Idaho during 2012:

  • A Traffic crash occurred every 25 minutes
  • A person was killed in a traffic crash every 52 hours
  • An unbelted passenger motor vehicle occupant was killed every 4.7 days
  • A person was killed in an impaired driving crash every 5.5 days
  • A person was injured in a traffic crash every 48 minutes
  • A motorcyclist was injured in a traffic crash every 20 hours
  • A bicyclist was Injured in a traffic crash every 26 hours
  • A person was killed in an aggressive driving crash every 5.7 days
  • A pedestrian was Injured in a traffic crash every 44 hours

As I look at my watch, I now think about highway traffic safety. As we all work together to eliminate death and serious injury on Idaho roadways I know I will continue to be interested to see “what time it is” on the Idaho crash clock to measure the progress we are making Toward Zero Deaths.

brent.jennings@itd.idaho.gov

Published 4-26-13