ITD and ISP are teaming up for a free winter driving course in Boise this week

For the first time ever, a collaboration between the Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho State Police will offer free winter driver safety courses in the Treasure Valley, ITD announced in a news release Tuesday.

While all ages and experience levels are welcome, the courses are particularly aimed at young drivers and drivers new to Idaho who may be preparing for their first winter driving season. Current teen drivers and those beginning driver training next year are particularly encouraged to participate, the course’s registration website says.

The course is taught by ISP Soldiers and ITD Operators covering a range of topics including:

Proper Vehicle PreparationEquipment for Winter DrivingUnderstanding Road ConditionsDriving Tips in Snow and IceHow to Deal with AccidentsSnowplow Safety

Anyone interested in the course is asked to register quickly as places are limited, the release said. Two classes will be held at the ITD District 3 Building at 8150 W. Chinden Blvd in Boise. The first opportunity will take place on Wednesday, December 4th from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The second will take place on Saturday, December 7th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m

Registration links for both dates can be found in Tuesday’s ITD press release, which can be viewed on the ITD website.

WINTER DRIVING DATAAccording to ITD’s Idaho Traffic Crashes 2023 report, the winter months tend to have the highest number of overall crashes and are more likely to experience crashes attributed to weather conditions. However, these accidents tend to be “less serious” because people tend to drive more carefully in bad weather, the report said.

During the winter months of 2023 – November through March – there were 11,921 crashes in Idaho, with 80 of those crashes resulting in fatalities. December was the winter month with the highest number of fatal accidents, with 23, although this was still well below the peak fatal accidents last year, when there were 34 fatal accidents in July, the report said.