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Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
Email


Safety summit to focus on reducing
traffic-related deaths on Idaho highways

Safety professionals and law enforcement officials will gather in Boise on Tuesday for the Idaho Highway Safety Summit. The event is sponsored by the ITD's Office of Highway Operations and Safety (OHOS) and will be at the DoubleTree Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Summit sessions will focus on efforts to eliminate deaths on Idaho highways. National and local experts also will speak about traffic safety and enforcement issues related to Idaho's recent Toward Zero Deaths initiative.

"Too many people are dying and getting seriously injured on Idaho roads," said Mark Strait of OHOS. "The tremendous human toll and burdensome financial toll makes it imperative that we move toward a vision of zero deaths."

Participants will include representatives from the Idaho State Police, county sheriffs' offices and local police departments, as well as numerous other agencies and organizations involved in highway safety issues.

Program highlights include:

  • Mark Horowitz, CEO of the Moorshire Group, will talk about getting parents involved with their novice driver and in the community. The Moorshire group is responsible for developing the "Drive" programs, which provide tools for modifying and shaping teen attitudes toward driving.
  • Capt. Steve Burns, Washington State Patrol, will discuss accomplishments of his agency's award-winning zero deaths campaign.
  • Innovative law enforcement strategies ranging from "spotter" programs developed by the Nampa Police Department and Shoshone County Sheriff's Office to safety belt awareness and enforcement campaigns by the Post Falls and Boise police departments will be outlined.
  • A report from the Idaho Seat Belt Coalition, a review of Idaho's highway safety mobilizations and law enforcement liaison program, and an analysis of the top contributors to traffic deaths and serious injuries on Idaho roads also will be featured.

Each day, an average of five Idahoans are either killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes. Society pays 85 percent of the medical costs for those involved in crashes. These costs are passed on to the general public through higher insurance premiums, taxes and increased charges for medical services.

Published 9-8-06