County’s first snowfall prompts 20 weather-related traffic reports

The Boundary County Sheriff’s Office winter driving training course came just in time, coinciding with last week’s first heavy snowfall of the season. 

Sheriff Dave Kramer, Undersheriff Rich Stephens and Les Schwab owner Jay Wages led a large class of mostly young drivers, offering road safety tips on a Friday that saw several weather-related car accidents in Boundary County. 

From Nov. 18 through 24, there were at least seven accidents and 13 slide-offs reported in in the county. Most, if not all of these incidents were in some capacity related to weather, according to BCSO records. There was also a fatal car crash in Bonner County. 

On a Nov. 20 morning with lots of snowfall, the two-car accident happened just outside county lines on U.S. 95. A Moyie Springs man driving southbound collided with a four-passenger vehicle in the northbound lane while seeking to overtake slower drivers in front of him. A child in the four-passenger car did not survive, according to the Idaho State Police press release. 

“Driving down Highway 95 can be just as dangerous as flying through Spokane,” Stephens said. “Our roads aren’t meant and designed for the amount of traffic we are getting.” 

Accidents in November, when Boundary County gets its first snowfall, happen more frequently than in the later winter months of January and February, despite heavier snowfall, according to Idaho Transportation Department records. 

Stephens said this is because fewer drivers are in the winter driving mode, meaning they are caught off-guard by the winter conditions and road etiquette, such as driving at reduced speeds. Most fatal winter crashes occur when very light amounts of snow and ice are on the road.

“Say you’re driving from Bonners to Sandpoint. Eight miles per hour over isn’t going to gain you much time, but driving the speed limit will give you more of a safety buffer,” Kramer said. 

In the training course, Kramer, Stephens and Wages instructed drivers to be alert and to drive slowly in hazardous weather conditions. Under Idaho law, drivers can receive a speeding ticket even if they are traveling at the posted speed limit if road conditions are dangerous.  

They also advised drivers to keep their phones in their pockets, so they won’t be lost or out of reach in a roll-over accident. 

Wages told the group that Les Schwab offers a full refund on unused tire chains. Winter tires can also reduce stop time by as much as 50 percent. 

Wages also said that the North Hill is “our best brake salesman” because of the sharp drop from 55 mph to 35 mph. The hills and bridges along U.S. 95 tend to be accident hotspots. 

In rural areas of Boundary County, the roads are not plowed until midafternoon. The bus routes and roads for emergency services get priority. 

Kramer said to look out for a second or third deer anytime one is spotted in or near the road. A total of 245 animal-related accidents have been reported over the last 10 years in Boundary County, but Stephens said the majority of such accidents go unreported. 

Over the last 10 years, December has been the most treacherous month of the year for Boundary County drivers, both in light and severe accidents. Overall, the four snowy months have the highest accident rate of any season, even beating out the summer months where traffic increases substantially.  

“The statistics aren’t surprising, especially with December,” Stephens said. “In a winter we'll have 1,000 weather-related traffic incidents.”