(Christine Barton-Holmes / Flickr)

In the last five years, the Treasure Valley has seen a 26% increase in drunk driving, and 42% of fatal car crashes were related to someone driving while impaired.

Valley law enforcement agencies want to bring those numbers down, so they’ve created the new Treasure Valley DUI Task Force.

A similar task force in north Idaho has seen a big drop in fatal car crashes due to impaired driving, so now agencies from Garden City to Meridian to Canyon County are joining together to educate the public about the dangers of driving while intoxicated.

Lt. Crapo and Lt. Horst from the Idaho State Police joined Idaho Matters to talk more.