Montana Road Deaths On The Rise Regardless Of Weather

Usually by this time in Montana, we would have feet of snow, a couple of winter storms, a few days of below zero temperatures, and at least 15 really bad wrecks on our roads. And most of those accidents would be caused from wintery road conditions.

This year it is certainly different. We are going to have a snowless Christmas, which means are roads, for the most part, have been dry and clear.

Unfortunately, even with the dry roads, we have have a significant number of accidents, especially in December.

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Since the beginning of December through the first couple of weeks, Montana has seen 16 deaths. With winter not being the main cause for the accidents, there is clearly other driving issues Montana needs to focus on.

Less than half of the deaths in the first half of the month had alcohol/drug use listed as part of the reason for the accidents and only one had snowy/icy roads listed as a contributor to the crash.

This tells us that people are just not paying attention and driving too fast. Missing turns, on/off ramps, curves in the roads, and driving way to fast are the most common listed contributors to these recent deaths.

What can Montanan's do to keep the roads safer? Simple. Put the phone away, use handsfree features, and if you are unfamiliar with a road you are going to be driving, have your maps pulled up on your touchscreen (if available) and that will help you navigate upcoming curves and hills.

The population in Montana isn't going to get any smaller, so making sure you are focused on your lane will help with saving the lives of fellow Montanan's.