Montana Ranked In The Top 10 Most Dangerous States For Labor Day Driving

Montana drivers might want to think twice before hitting the road this Labor Day weekend. A new study ranks the Treasure State the 6th most dangerous place to drive during the holiday, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise given how busy and often reckless holiday traffic can be.

Labor Day is already one of the deadliest weekends of the year for driving, second only to the Fourth of July. In 2023, 511 people were killed in crashes nationwide during the holiday stretch, up from 496 the year before. Even more concerning, more than a third of those fatalities involved drunk drivers, many of them with blood alcohol levels nearly double the legal limit.

The new study, created by Munley Law, analyzed seven factors across all 50 states and D.C. using data from the NHTSA, FBI, and Census Bureau. These included DUI arrests, speeding-related crashes, pedestrian deaths, and uninsured motorists.

Here’s how Montana stacked up:

• Motor vehicle fatalities: 18.03 per 100,000 residents (#45)
• DUI arrests: 363.87 per 100,000 (#45)
• Fatal drunk driving crashes: 5.89 per 100,000 (#50)
• Fatal speeding crashes: 6.16 per 100,000 (#49)
• Uninsured motorists: 7.2% (#5 lowest in the nation)

The report also highlights U.S. Highway 2 as the most dangerous road in Montana, with 20 fatal crashes reported in 2023 alone.

With more than 39,000 Americans killed in traffic accidents in 2024, the numbers are sobering. The CDC even ranks accidents as the third leading cause of death in the country.

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So if you’re traveling this Labor Day, take it slow, buckle up, and avoid the temptation to drink and drive. The roads are going to be crowded, and in Montana, that makes for an even riskier ride.