Tips on being a better passenger on the road

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) - This week is national passenger safety week, reminding us all to speak out against risky driving.

According to the Idaho Transportation Department roughly 24,000 Idahoans were involved in either a fatal or injury crash in 2021, including 7,500 passengers.

That was an increase of over 11% since the previous year. In 2019, 62% of all traffic fatalities were passengers.

Matthew Conde, the Public and Government Affairs Director says not about completing the journey, it’s about getting there safely.

‘Be a good co-pilot’ Conde says. don’t be afraid to voice your concerns if something is not right while in the passenger seat.

“Leaving all the decision making in the hands of drivers is something that we sometimes tend to do as passengers. We tend to get in and mentally check out a little bit, but we need to be vigilant and we need to be willing to speak up if there’s something we don’t feel comfortable with what’s going on,” said Conde.

If your driver seems impatient, upset, impaired, drowsy or distracted -- you should offer to drive.

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