According to our friends at AAA, Idaho/Oregon 2020 was a lousy year, made worse by increasing the number of fatal crashes on American roads, according to a recent press release. Fortunately, AAA says that Idaho was not part of the deadly trend.

With all due respect to AAA, I can't believe that we haven't had more accidents in the Treasure Valley, never mind the entire state of Idaho. The aggressive tailgating continues to plague our area. This weekend alone, I witnessed two incidents of tailgating that could have led to dangerous conclusions.

Personal Experience

I was pulling out of my neighborhood when a white Pontiac, driven by a female who decided I was moving too slow in an area with families and children. She passed me and flipped me off at the light on Star Road. The time of this incident was 10amsh.

The following incident, which could've turned deadly, involved a pickup truck and a white Telsa driving on Chinden Blvd. The Tesla tried to pass the truck on the right and almost hit the truck moving into the right lane. The result could've been a collision at excess of 70mph. Is it vital to speed?

National Safety Statistics

According to the National Safety Council, more than 42,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 – an 8% increase in deaths despite a global pandemic that triggered a 13% reduction in vehicle miles traveled. It was the most fatalities in 13 years.

But the Gem State fared much better. With a 7% decrease, Idaho was one of just nine states that saw a drop in deaths, sharing that distinction with regional neighbors like Wyoming (-13%) and North Dakota (-1%).

As more people resume their normal travel activities, AAA is asking drivers to make better use of seat belts and brush up on their skills before setting out on a long-awaited road trip. U.S. and Idaho statistics suggest that we can do better in using seat belts to make the roads safer.

Aggressive Driving Season

Unfortunately, we've seen too many deadly accidents involving aggressive driving in the Treasure Valley. Let's hope that more folks will drive defensively to all make it through the summer driving season.

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Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

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