Untitled Document

ITD Vault: 29 Years Ago
February 1986

Traffic deaths continue to decline in ‘80s

The number of people killed in traffic accidents on Idaho roadways in the 1980s has shown a dramatic decline from figures recorded during the previous decade.

With the exception of 1984, fewer people died on Idaho roads last year than in other year since 1963. In 1984, there were 241 traffic deaths.

However, a particularly deadly Labor Day weekend in which 12 people perished pushed 1985’s traffic fatality figures upwards.

In all, 40 people died in accidents during August, considerably up from the average of 29 for the month. The average compares 1985 figures with a three-year average that includes 1982-1984. Grace Foster, who keeps accident records for the department, said the 1985 figure might be revised. Accident-related deaths occurring within 30 days of accidents are counted as traffic fatalities.

The number of traffic fatalities in Idaho peaked in 1973 at about 350.

Editor’s Note: Last year, for the third time in the last four years, Idaho had fewer than 200 fatalities. There were 186 fatalities on Idaho’s roads in 2014. Idaho averaged 323 fatalities each year throughout the 1970s, and 270 per year between 1956-2010. While there is still significant work to be done, the latest data shows a trend in the right direction.