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More than 1,200 eggs sacrificed to reach multitudes with safety message at Western Idaho Fair booth in Boise

Imagine a 1,200-egg omelet. Sounds a bit excessive, right?

Idaho’s highway deaths (216 last year) were also excessive — so a move toward zero deaths on Gem State roadways was definitely part of the message at the Western Idaho Fair in Boise Aug.19-28.

ITD’s DMV office partnered with the Office of Highway Safety and Federal Highway Administration to reach more than 3,600 people with the safety message. The heart of the message featured eggs that were buckled up and those thst were not, to illustrate the results of vehicle crashes.

Besides highway-safety items, the booth also featured highway maps, driver’s license manuals, titles/registration brochures, a unique change-of-address collection mailbox, specialty-plates display, and even a six-foot cardboard version of “Scout,” the mascot for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation’s Passport Program.

They have reached an estimated 60,000 people with their message during 15 years staffing a booth at the Fair.

“We had 3,730 visitors to the DMV side of the booth,” said Barry Takeuchi, DMV Outreach/Titles Program Specialist and regular on the booth-planning committee. “Attendance would likely have been higher had school not already been in session during most of the fair.” Most Boise-area public schools resumed Aug. 22.

Pictured above: The DMV booth featured pamphlets, manuals, specialty plate example, driver's license information, and more. April Davis from Driver Services and Beverlie Edwards from DMV Administration staff the booth.

Pictured left: Takeuchi's daughter, Abbey, holds her broken egg in a plastic bag as FHWA's Lance Johnson looks on.

Idaho’s DMV has had a booth at the Western Idaho Fair since 2001, and has been partnering with Highway Safety and FHWA to host a double booth since 2005.