Number of Montana Roadway Fatalities on the Decline, Lack of Seatbelt Use Disturbing

There’s good news from the Montana Highway Patrol. As 2015 nears the half-year mark, it's hard not to be optimistic about the roadway fatality trends.

"The fatality rate is down, by about 14 percent to this point in the year (June 1, 2015), but we're just starting the summer months and those percentages are based on just a few deaths and crashes," said MHP Captain James Kitchin . Actually we are down in almost everything, except we have seen an increase in pedestrian fatalities and motorcycle fatalities."

Although the total number of deaths is down, the number of people who have died because they didn’t buckle their seat belt remains at a staggeringly high percentage.

"Statewide we have had 48 deaths so far through June 1," Kitichin said. "In District 1, which includes Missoula, Ravalli, Sanders, and Mineral County we have had nine fatalities so far this year. Overall, across the state were looking at about 81 percent of the people who have died in crashes not being properly restrained."

Kitchin said that DUI fatalities are also down this year, by about 50 percent, but that he expects the summer months to bring more DUI incidents.

Of course, Kitchin hopes that the big take away message from all of these statistics is that more people choose to drive sober and buckle up. Every life is valuable.