HELENA – The Montana Department of Transportation reports last month was the deadliest June on Montana roadways in the past 10 years, and urges people to take extra care this holiday weekend.
Montana averaged 1 death a day on roads during the month of June.
MDT Director Mike Tooley said it’s a shocking number given the state had a 32 day stretch of no road fatalities less than a year ago.
“Really what it still points out is that we have to be careful in Montana,” said Tooley. “We have to get back to treating driving as a very serious task.”
Memorial Day to Labor Day are often referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer due to the increased traffic deaths nationwide.
Tooley said in the state Memorial Day to Labor Day are the deadliest days on Montana roads all year long.
Tooley added, no matter the time of year, drivers need to take responsibility when getting behind the wheel.
“There’s no acceptable number of deaths except for zero,” said Tooley. “Why is it that during the winter we have more wrecks but fewer fatalities? The reason is people take that task of driving of driving a lot more seriously when it’s cold and windy and icy out than they do in summer when the roads are bare and dry. Don’t take those chances, do the right thing when you get in the car and you’ll arrive safely.”
MDT strongly encourages the public to follow posted speed limits, be rested, buckle up and drive sober.
Doing so will decrease the chance of being in a crash or having a crash result in a fatality.
