By Chuck Woodbury
Transportation editor
As I have said for many years, if you drink while driving, then make it Root Beer. Water works, too. Coke works. Apple juice works. But nothing that buzzes your brain.
I say this after coming across a report from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). While it reported an 18% decrease in fatalities from impaired driving crashes from 105 in 2023 to 86 in 2024, impaired driving still accounted for more than a third (36%) of all traffic crash fatalities in Idaho last year.
Of the 86 people killed in impaired driving crashes in 2024, 80 (an overwhelming 93%) were either the impaired driver, a passenger riding with an impaired driver, or an impaired pedestrian.
“Drivers aged 30 and under are involved in impaired driving crashes at a disproportionately high rate,” said Josephine Middleton, Highway Safety Manager with ITD’s Office of Highway Safety. “It’s encouraging to see fewer fatalities, but the numbers show the problem is far from solved. We need people to understand that impaired driving doesn’t just put their own life at risk. It endangers everyone on the road.”
To help prevent further tragedies, ITD and its law enforcement partners will participate in a statewide impaired driving mobilization from July 1 to July 13, 2025. During this time, drivers can expect to see an increased presence of high-visibility patrols dedicated to stopping impaired drivers and saving lives.
ITD continues to focus on education and prevention through law enforcement partnerships, community outreach, and youth engagement initiatives. The department emphasizes the importance of planning ahead, using designated drivers, and making responsible choices every time you get behind the wheel.
Impaired driving is preventable. If you feel different, you drive different.
For more information on impaired driving prevention efforts in Idaho (good advice for anywhere), visit shift-idaho.org.
RELATED
- DUI: Some marijuana users’ attitudes toward safety may put you in danger
- Are more drivers ignoring traffic laws?
- New, updated driving laws going into effect in 2025
- Is your medical marijuana card valid when RVing in other states?
- You might not have the right driver’s license for your RV; laws vary by state
RVT1215
