Montana Highway Patrol 2005 Annual Report

NHTSA · 2006 · ROSA P / Montana. Highway Patrol Division

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Summary

The Montana Highway Patrol 2005 Annual Report documents traffic safety statistics, enforcement activities, and organizational developments in Montana for the calendar year 2005. The report serves as a statutory requirement to inform law enforcement, the legislature, and the public about crash trends and areas requiring safety intervention. It highlights significant legislative and administrative changes, including the implementation of an alternative pay plan to improve officer recruitment and retention, the graduation of the first combined basic-training class for Patrol recruits, and the passage of laws banning open alcohol containers in vehicles and establishing Graduated Driver Licensing. The report compiles comprehensive data on traffic crashes, fatalities, and enforcement actions across eight patrol districts. In 2005, there were 22,374 reported crashes, representing a 9.7% increase from the previous year. Fatalities rose by 9.1% to 251 deaths in 224 fatal crashes, while injuries increased by 1.0% to 9,210. Enforcement data shows that Patrol officers issued 104,034 arrest tickets and 132,598 warning tickets. DUI/Per Se citations increased to 2,666, and seat belt citations remained high at 14,694. The Patrol also recovered 166 stolen vehicles and conducted 76,126 warrants served. Analysis of crash patterns reveals that single-vehicle crashes accounted for 41.78% of all incidents but 70.54% of fatal crashes. Head-on collisions, while comprising only 1.14% of total crashes, resulted in 8.04% of fatalities. Alcohol was present in 29.97% of drivers involved in fatal crashes, while lack of seat belt use was a factor in 70% of all fatal crashes. Seat belt usage rates varied by road type, with 92.60% compliance on interstates and 66.90% in city areas. Fatal crashes peaked between midnight and 1:00 a.m., on Saturdays, and during July. Secondary routes accounted for the highest number of fatal crashes (82), followed by U.S. Highways (62). The report concludes that while legislative measures and enforcement efforts are improving recruitment and addressing specific behaviors like open container violations, significant challenges remain regarding alcohol-impaired driving and seat belt non-compliance. The data underscores the prevalence of single-vehicle accidents and the disproportionate impact of alcohol and restraint failures on fatality rates. The document provides a detailed historical context, including decade-by-decade fatality counts by county from 1935 to 2005, illustrating long-term trends and regional variations in traffic safety outcomes.

Key finding

Montana experienced 251 traffic fatalities in 2005, an increase from 229 in 2004, with alcohol present in approximately 30% of fatal crashes and seat belt non-use involved in 70%.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes