BOISE — The Idaho Transportation Department is embarking on a concerted effort to reduce the number of fatal accidents on the state's roadways.

The department sponsored an all-day workshop last week that included discussion and strategies to improve safety.

 "Safety for users is ITD's highest priority," ITD acting director L. Scott Stokes said as he welcomed nearly 100 participants gathered to work with ITD's Office of Highway Operations and Safety to update Idaho's strategic highway safety plan.

The goal of the collaborative effort is "Toward Zero Deaths — Every Life Counts," according to Mary Hunter, the agency's highway safety manager.

The meeting featured speakers from Washington and Missouri who talked about how their states succeeded in reducing highway fatalities. Participants developed strategies and action plans to reduce traffic deaths caused by impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving, lack of seat belt use and other factors. 

"Idaho's immediate task is to achieve fewer than 200 annual traffic deaths by 2012," Hunter said.

Last year, 232 people died on the state's highways.

Transportation officials meet to address highway safety

BOISE — Highway Operations and Safety Engineer Brent Jennings said the Idaho Transportation Department is evaluating and developing programs consistent with successful programs from other states to address infrastructure solutions to reduce traffic deaths. 

Angie Ward and Matthew Enders discussed the successes of Washington state's Corridor Safety Program at a recent all-day workshop that included discussion about how to improve safety on Idaho roads.

Washington's "Target Zero Vision" is intended to eliminate fatal and serious crashes by 2030 through planning, collaboration and careful analysis of all available data, then targeting resource investments to generate the greatest safety benefits. Washington reports one of the lowest fatality rates in the nation.

 "We will focus on behavioral safety, utilizing programs proven effective, and will further develop the Idaho Highway Safety Coalition to help create and sustain a culture of safety on Idaho's roads," Mary Hunter, highway safety manager of the Idaho Department of Transportation, said.

Some examples provided by ITD include a Road Safety Audit Program, implementation of data-driven local safety corridors, and use of a system-wide approach to infrastructure safety issues by implementing low-cost, near-term improvements, especially in regard to lane departure crashes, a primary contributor to the toll of deaths, serious injuries and economic losses for Idahoans.

Hunter said a recent public opinion poll conducted by the University of Idaho for ITD showed that 87 percent of respondents believe risky driving behaviors — including speeding, impaired driving and failing to wear seat belts — resulted in increased costs to all Idahoans for medical and insurance costs.

Tamiko Burnell, with the Federal Highway Administration, said all states need to update their statewide coordinated safety programs and offered guidelines for success:

• Ensure plans are data driven.
• Plans are developed by state transportation agencies in collaboration with outside partners.
• Objectives integrate engineering, education, enforcement and emergency medical services.
• Safety needs of all public roads are considered.
• Highway safety investment decisions are guided by a plan and evaluated.