fbpx
Skip to content

Montana Finishes Year with Least Traffic Deaths Since 1989

It's the first time since 1948 and 1949 that state highways saw fewer than 200 deaths in back-to-back years

By Associated Press

MISSOULA – Montana finished the year with 186 traffic fatalities, the state’s lowest count since 1989.

The Missoulian reported Tuesday that the tally was a slight decrease from last year, when 190 people died in traffic incidents.

The two-year stretch is the first time since 1948 and 1949 that state highways saw fewer than 200 deaths in back-to-back years.

Col. Tom Butler, chief of the Montana Highway Patrol, said the death tally is still a “tale of tragedy,” but is a positive.

Montana’s worst year on record for traffic deaths was 1972, when 395 people died.

In 1989, the count bottomed out at 181.

Don’t worry, we’ll always be free.

But continued community support is what makes our reporting possible. Please consider a one-time or recurring gift to help sustain independent journalism in northwest Montana. Every donation is injected straight into the newsroom.

Thanks so much for backing us over all these years.

I’ll Support Your Work