(Helena) – December is National Impaired Driving Awareness Month. Overall Fatalities are down on Montana’s Highways. Sergeant Phil Smart of the Montana Highway Patrol told New Media Broadcasters about the statistics on highway fatalities in the state where alcohol or drugs are a factor.
“The things that we are seeing, those factors that we wish we could change, is that alcohol as a factor of the confirmed fatal crashes, alcohol is a factor in thirty-seven percent of the confirmed ones at this point. In addition to that, drugs are a factor in twenty-six percent.
- Total Crashes Responded to by MHP: 159 in 2024
- Interstate: 24
- Primary roads: 57
- Rural roads: 33
- Secondary roads: 26
- Urban roads: 18
- Total Fatalities in 2024: 170
- Interstate: 25
- Primary roads: 62
- Rural roads: 36
- Secondary roads: 27
- Urban roads: 19
- Contributing factors identified:
- Alcohol suspected: 64 deaths
- Drugs suspected: 26
- Speed suspected: 87
- Seat belts not worn in 76 fatal crashes
- Motorcycle-involved crashes: 33
- Pedestrian-involved fatalities: 9
