The intersection of Eagle Road and Fairview Avenue is the busiest intersection in the state of Idaho.  Anyone who’s driven on Eagle Road understands that it’s a challenge especially on the way home.  Want to avoid the lane divers and changers?

Meridian Motorcycle Officer Will Stoy practically lives on Eagle Road.  He’s on the road all day long and traveling the same stretch for hundreds of miles. He gets paid to observe, and enforce traffic laws.  According to Officer Stoy, Eagle Road has the most accidents in the Gem State.

He’s seen it all and shares with us his tips on how to avoid being in an accident.

1.  Patience, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go and understand that you’re sharing the road with others.

2. Summer is a time when more crashes occur.  We’re now in the 100 deadliest days of Summer.  More people and especially young people lose their lives to wrecks than any other time of the year.

3. Avoid ‘crash causing’ behavior.  Police are looking for individuals who are speeding, running red lights, running down the should, changing lanes abruptly, and not paying attention.

4. Focus on Driving, not the cellphone.  Over seventy percent of crashes are caused by inattention, says Officer Stoy.  Your vehicle can travel a half block during the time it takes for you to look down at your phone.

5. Don’t run the red lights and look before you drive through an intersection.  People are impatient and don’t want to wait for another traffic rotation.  Why take a chance of property damage and injury?

6. Be a good defensive driver.  A major cause of accidents on Eagle Road and elsewhere is rear end crashes from people following too close.  Don’t worry about letting others in, keep a proper distance between your car and the one in front of you.

7.  Slow down and leave with plenty of time to get home or to work.  Proper planning can avoid a trip to the hospital or body shop.

8.  Remember you’re sharing the road with bicyclist and motorcycles.  Look twice for motorcycles, bicyclist, pedestrians, and kids.

9.  If you’re exiting a business or an alley, and there’s a sidewalk, Idaho Code requires you to stop before the sidewalk and look both ways before edging over the sidewalk and then stop again before entering the road according to Officer Stoy.

10. Don’t speed up or give the ‘brake job’ to tailgaters.  If someone is tailgating you, it’s best to let them pass if possible according to Officer Stoy.

Bonus- Road rage is defined as reckless driving, and if convicted you can be arrested and spend up to five days in jail.

 

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