Idaho is a Deadly Place When it Comes to Truck Crashes

I blame our dual speed limit on the Interstate. An outfit called Simplex Group tracked the number of trucking accidents by state. Using data from 2020, Idaho came in second, just slightly behind Wyoming, where many of the same speed issues exist. I don’t blame truckers much for the trouble. I get to drive at 80 miles per hour on I-84. Trucks are limited to 70 and some are governed under 65. We all know what happens.

A slower truck gets passed by a faster truck. Regular traffic backs up in the passing lane behind the faster truck. People get frustrated and they make some bad judgments. It probably accounts for our high death toll.

There are states with far more crashes involving large trucks, but our percentage of deadly wrecks is just slightly behind Wyoming, and we have overall far more accidents than our neighbors to the east.

What can be done? Friends in law enforcement start by emphasizing you keep your head on your shoulders, be well-rested while driving, and show some patience. Those are some basic rules for personal self-governance.

Many law enforcers also say we need to bring an end to the dual speed limit. They want something below 80 MPH.

While safety features have made roads much safer than 40 years ago, your chances of survival are greatly increased at 70 versus 80.

One trooper also used to tell me that when it comes to axles, the guy with more usually have a better chance of survival. We can’t all have added wheels. Once more, it brings us back to using our brains, versus spilling them, on the roads.