It surprises no one that northern states rank among the most dangerous for driving. Northern states are notorious for awful weather and slippery roads, especially during the colder months. However, it turns out that northern states in the Midwest and West have an additional problem: drunk driving.
One USA Today article ranked North Dakota as the state with the highest DUI arrests and fatalities. Unfortunately, Montana was right behind it, in second place. Researchers believed that both the combination of weather and above-average alcohol consumption levels caused this.
Instead of singling out drunk driving, Montana decided to tackle impaired driving overall. The state took this decision after twice the number of people died in the first quarter of 2016, compared to the same figures for 2015. In fact, more than three-quarters of the fatalities in the state result from failure to wear seatbelts and driving while impaired.
In spite of Montana’s efforts in 2016, by 2019, the state tied for first place on a list of states with the highest DUI fatality rates. KBZK7 identifies the I-90 stretch of highway as the most dangerous in America, especially for DUIs. Local authorities believe the thousands of breweries and bars in the state does not help matters at all.
Some time has passed since authorities first began to tie high risks of DUI rates with the high rates of consumption. In fact, Utah has become the control state many researchers turn to. The state’s large Mormon population leads to unusually high rates of abstinence from alcohol, which also coincides with its ranking at the bottom of virtually every DUI list that includes all 50 states.
At Colton Holm Law Firm, we look forward to learning how we can help you resolve your legal concern.Call us today: (406) 259-9986