Fatal crash rates continue to drop

SANDPOINT - The fatality rate for traffic crashes in Idaho has fallen for the fourth consecutive year. According to the Idaho Transportation Department’s most recent report, “Idaho Traffic Crashes 2020,” there were 214 fatalities last year, marking a 4.5% drop when compared to 2019.

Last year’s fatal crashes are estimated to have cost the state $2.2 billion, according to the report. It is estimated that 25% of those costs were paid by the parties involved in the accidents, and 52% by private insurance companies.

“The most significant point is that society at large picks up nearly 75% of all crash costs incurred by individual motor vehicle crash victims,” the study states.

The report further cites that costs are passed along to the general public in the form of higher insurance premiums, taxes, and rising costs for medical care.

“The cost of traffic crashes in 2020 amounts to $2,093 for every person in Idaho,” according to the report.

According to the study, there are fewer single-vehicle crashes than multiple-vehicle crashes. But they result in more fatalities than multiple-vehicle crashes, accounting for 44% of all fatalities even though they make up only 31% of total crashes.

Of all the single-vehicle crashes, 86% of them happen on rural roadways.

In decreasing order: speed, animals in the roadway, and failure to maintain a lane were the leading three causes of single-vehicle crashes. Multiple-vehicle crashes were mainly caused by distracted driving, failure to yield, and following too close.

The most fatal event in single-vehicle crash, statistically, is an overturned vehicle making for 68% of fatalities. In multi-vehicle crashes, it’s a head-on collision, responsible for 32% of fatalities.

“July and August had the highest number of fatal crashes. December and October had the highest number of total crashes,” the report read. Winter month crashes are more likely to be attributed to weather conditions making for hazardous driving conditions.

“These crashes usually tend to be less severe as people generally slow down and are more cautious when driving.”

The most likely day for fatal crashes is a tie between Wednesday and Saturday. Fatal crashes were more likely to occur around 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. any day of the week. Males are most likely to be involved in a fatal crash, at 74% of crashes, females were involved in 26%.