Montana Drivers: Myth vs. Reality – Are They Really the Worst?

We all have our pet peeves, for me, it's bad drivers. Nothing will frustrate me quicker. Whether it is someone driving slowly in the fast lane, or the person in front of you texting while the light turns green, bad drivers are the worst!

Throw in the fact that we have hundreds of thousands of folks that travel here each year from different states and there are times that Montana is a driving nightmare and apparently, there are facts that back that up.

According to Forbes, which came out with the list of the states with the worst drivers, Montana made the list.

Get our free mobile app

According to the numbers, deadly crashes are up about 13 percent nationwide in the last few years and the reason for that is the following:

• Speeding
• Distracted Driving
• Aggressive Driving

I think one of the biggest distractions is our phones.  I see people all the time either talking or looking at their phones while they're driving. While most new vehicles come equipped with hands-free technology, a large population is more worried about their phone than driving.

Where does Montana rank when it comes to states with the worst drivers?

While Montana isn't at the top of the list, we're not far behind. The Treasure State ranks 5th for states with the worst drivers. Which states rank ahead of Montana? New Mexico comes in 1st followed by Wyoming, Texas, and Oklahoma.

Of course, if you spend any time looking at the out-of-state plates around Montana you will see quite a few from Wyoming and Texas, so maybe that's part of the problem. And while Montana isn't ranked 1st for bad drivers, we are ranked first for the highest number of drunk driving fatalities.

Forbes broke down the metrics for each state and when it comes to Montana, we had a total score of 92 out of 100. Some of the takeaways from those numbers, Montana ranks high in deaths due to drowsy driving, DUIs, and distracted driving.

So, if you're traveling across our beloved state, be careful, be alert, and make sure you're safe.