Idaho is a great state that offers us a safe and quick commute to and from work.  Occasionally there might be a delay or a minor fender bender.  However Idaho traffic this morning resembled something most would experience in California. 

Idaho Car Wreck Highlights Need For Safety
Getty Images, Jeff T. Green
loading...

Who knows what caused the wreck involving 46 vehicles that blocked I-84 West this morning.  The Idaho Statesman reported that fog limited the visibility of morning drivers.  Reduced viewing means that there is less reaction time and the probability of bad things happen increase.  How many drivers have you seen drive responsively when conditions aren't ideal?  Thankfully as of the writing of this blog no one was killed today.

Idaho State Police told KTVB that at least 10 people had been taken to the hospital.  The accident caused lanes on I-84 to be closed until early this afternoon.  I'm sure the pictures and video cannot do the scene justice to those who experienced it first hand.  The fact that a driver was pinned under a logging truck and survived should be a lesson to all of us about road safety.

We see it all the time and perhaps some of us practice it.  We forget the defensive driving skills that we learned so many years ago in drivers ed.  My friend Martha  asked me why turn signals are rarely used during inversions?  Good question.  Or the fact that some folks fail to turn on their lights during the rain or foggy weather.  Let's not leave out how some drivers forget to drive slowly when the roads are full of ice and snow.  Why some people tailgate is beyond me.

Accidents do happen and that's why they're called accidents.  Practicing safe driving lessons can keep all of us safe.  It was a miracle that this accident did not claim lives this morning.  Let's make our Idaho commute safer by respecting the rules of the road and each other.

More From Idaho’s Talk Station