BOISE, Idaho — A 2020 goal for the Boise Police Department focuses on the fact that traffic safety is key to neighborhood safety. According to a Boise Police Department news release, officers across the city will be paying increased attention to traffic violations at major intersections, school zones, and neighborhoods.
While most Boise residents feel that Boise is a safe city, a 2018 Boise Citizen Survey showed that the biggest concern regarding crime was traffic offenses. Specifically, the survey results mentioned speeding and running red lights or stop signs.
In fiscal year 2019, reports show Boise Police traffic enforcement officers responded to over 190 requests from community members looking for help with traffic control in their neighborhoods. Officers also issued over 30,000 traffic citations.
The Top 5 traffic violations were:
1.Speeding
2.Following too closely
3.Stop sign/Yield violations
4.Wide Turns
5.Red light violations
“There are around 4,000 traffic accidents in Boise every year. It’s up to all of us to make our roads a safe place for all road users,” said Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson.
“The driving behaviors that concern us the most are distracted and aggressive driving,” said Boise Police Corporal Kyle Wills. “We really encourage residents to buckle up, put down the distractions, and drive safely so that we all make it home.”
Wills provides regular traffic tips and enforcement plans on his Twitter account. You can follow him @kjwills652.
The Boise Police Department will also be sharing traffic trends, statistics, and areas of enforcement for officers on its social media platforms. Follow the hashtags #BoisePD #TrafficTipTuesday and #WatchOutWednesday.
You can also check out:
The BPD Facebook account at www.facebook.com/BoisePoliceDepartment/
The BPD Twitter account at www.twitter.com/BoisePD
And the BPD Instagram account at www.instagram.com/boisepolicedepartment
“Focusing on traffic safety is a (Boise Police) department goal for 2020,” said Masterson. “Instead of waiting for an entire year to advise the public on a total number of citations issued by department members, we are committed to giving the public an accounting of the work we do for traffic safety, along with mentioning neighborhoods we have visited. We hope that by releasing that information on a more routine basis, we will create additional awareness and conversations in our community on the importance of complying with our established traffic regulations designed to keep all users of our streets safe.”
Many traffic violations come with hefty fines. For example, a speeding ticket can cost the driver a penalty of between
$90.00 to 155.00; and driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, failing to yield the right of way, passing stop signs, and disregarding signals can each lead to a $90 fine.
Reports also show that, in 2014, seven people died in Boise from traffic fatalities -– which include vehicle vs. vehicle, vehicle vs. motorcycle, vehicle vs. e-scooter, vehicle vs. bicycle, and vehicle vs. pedestrian. In 2015, ten people died; five in 2016; fourteen in 2017; five in 2018; and seven last year.
(photo courtesy: Boise Police Dept.)
