About | SHIFT IDAHO

OUR MISSION

Shift Idaho motivates Idahoans to be mindful drivers and neighbors through data and storytelling.

Shift Goals:

Fewer crashes on Idaho roads
Fewer serious injuries and deaths
More Idahoans with the knowledge and confidence to drive well

We’re all part of the solution.

The Idaho Transportation Department builds and maintains thousands of miles of road across this state. We analyze crash data, design safer intersections, and invest in infrastructure that keeps Idaho moving.

But every single crash involves a human decision. And that’s the one variable no amount of engineering can solve alone.

Shift Idaho is how ITD reaches people, not always with rules or warnings, but mostly by sharing honest data, telling local stories, and spreading the belief that together we can change our stats.

Shift is a movement.

When Shift Idaho launched in 2017, distracted driving alone accounted for 19% of all crashes and 16% of all fatalities on Idaho roads. The numbers were telling a clear story, but it wasn’t clear how to influence human driving behavior.

Many traffic safety campaigns lead with fear. Using graphic images, worst-case scenarios, or shock and shame. ITD’s Office of Highway Safety wanted to try something different.

So the team grounded the effort in a research-based behavior model that builds on the positive values and beliefs already present in a community. And Shift Idaho was born.

Shift is a positive attitude about progress and a commitment to change. Our cause is built on the belief that Idahoans don’t need to be scared into driving better.

We need to be reminded of what we already value—our families, our communities, our neighbors—and how our choices behind the wheel connect to everything.

Shift Idaho starts the conversation. Idahoans drive it.

Data points us in the right direction.

ITD collects and analyzes Idaho crash data so we can better understand what the greatest risks are, what engineering can help improve, and where Shift’s work is needed most. The crash data below reflects real people on real Idaho roads—they’re why we show up and why the Shift movement matters.