You’re Distracted, Idaho

We all know the obvious-- driving under any condition that isn't fully attentive and able is extremely dangerous. How often do we practice what we preach, though?

Drive up and down any street here in the Treasure Valley looking for drivers that are on their phones and you will find that nearly everyone is checking, talking, or texting on their device. Yes, it's THAT rampant.

Wake up any morning of the week and check out Ada County Sheriff's daily arrest report and you're going to see at least one 'Driving Under the Influence' charge. It sucks, it's dangerous, it's sad...but once again, it's the dead honest truth.

According to a recent survey, when it comes to driving distracted, Idaho is among the worst and improving that starts with each and every one of us.

In 2018 alone, distracted driving accounted for over 2,700 car crashes nationwide. Here locally in the State of Idaho, there's a total percentage of 7.6 when it comes to crashes within state lines. There is no statewide ban on handheld devices in Idaho but many cities have them--yes, I was the recipient of one of the City of Boise's $81.50 tickets once and I've changed my habits ever since.

When it comes to the TEN worst distracted driving states, Idaho ranks at #9 which is nothing to be proud of. In at #1 is New Mexico.

The stats behind these rankings are purely based off of crashes, citations, and legitimate data and I think it's time that Idaho takes a real good look at the problem at hand--no pun intended--and takes action.

To read more on these results, click HERE.