From Car Crashes to Animal Attacks, How Dangerous is Montana?

If there is one way to deter folks from moving to a particular place, it's by convincing them of the imminent danger they'll encounter. 

Over the past several years, people have been flooding into Montana. They're moving to Big Sky Country to escape the big city, have a simpler life, and enjoy the beauty of the state.

Get our free mobile app

What these people don't know is that living in Montana isn't always as easy or fun as it seems. Montana can be a dangerous place to live, in more ways than one. 

We did a deep dive into some statistics, and if you know some folks who are thinking about moving to Montana, you should share these stats with them. 

• Montana ranks 2nd for number of Deer-Vehicle Collisions—Not much is consistent in Montana, but you can count on deer regularly running in front of cars. My parents have hit a deer, and most of my friends have hit deer, including one just last month. Deer can seriously damage your vehicle (and your own physical wellbeing in some cases), and these animals are wild cards at night. 
• Montana Ranks High For Drunk Driving—Drunk driving has always been a massive issue in Montana, and there is no sign of this problem slowing down. Many locals have multiple DUIs, and that's normal. Compared to our population, we have a pretty high rate of drunk driving incidents. Not to mention some of the most dangerous highways in the country.
• Montana Ranks 6th For Winter Collisions—Even though you should worry about deer while driving during the winter, you need to be aware of other drivers as well. Winter collisions and slide-offs are constants on any highway in Montana. The mountain passes are white-knuckle-worthy during the winter. Montana roads can get quite dangerous.
• You're more likely to encounter Wildlife —Wildlife typically won't mess with people, but over the past few years, tourists have been getting bold in trying to get close to wildlife—Montana isn't a statewide petting zoo. Your likelihood of encountering a wild animal is higher in Montana than a very large majority of other states, though.

Montana seems peaceful and calm, but people need to realize that there are downsides to moving, as is the case with anywhere else.

So next time you hear someone thinking about moving to Montana, make sure they're aware of all the facts they need to take into consideration.