Montana Leads The Nation In Startling Statistics
With the holidays just around the corner, folks will be hitting the highways to visit family and friends. Of course, the holidays also bring the chance for people to get together at holiday parties and a lot of those parties involve alcohol.
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Not to be a wet blanket, I'm all for having a good time, but the truth is that Montana has an issue with drinking and driving.
According to one popular source, Montana leads the nation when it comes to death and DUIs based on the data that was compiled. It's certainly not anything to hang our hats on.
Forbes took a look at several factors when determining which states had the highest number of incidents with drinking and driving and when it came to Montana, this is what they found. Out of a score of 100, Montana actually scored a 100.
Some of the highlights include:
- Montana has the highest rate of drunk drivers with 8.57 drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes per 100,000.
- Over 43 percent of the traffic deaths in Montana are caused by drunk driving. That is the highest in the nation.
- Montana has the highest rate of drunk drivers under the age of 21.
Should Montana have tougher laws for drinking and driving?
Clearly, this is a serious issue. The question is, what, if anything will be done about it? Tougher laws? Prison time? Suspended license?
Just in the Bozeman area there have been numerous drivers driving on the wrong side of the interstate, which has resulted in fatalities. While not all of those incidents might have involved alcohol, we know some did.
Plus, with all of the different ride share options, there is no reason for anyone to get behind the wheel after they've been drinking. So, for those of you who enjoy a good time, by all means, continue, however, when it comes to driving, make sure you or anyone else that has been drinking doesn't get behind the wheel.
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