Montana drivers are no stranger to winter weather, narrow mountain roads and rural highways. Any of these factors can combine to make certain roads especially dangerous. Two of the most dangerous stretches of roadways in Montana are Interstate 90 and Beartooth Highway.
Interstate 90
Interstate 90, which runs straight through Montana from Billings to Bozeman and beyond, is known to be one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the U.S., specifically when it comes to fatal drunk driving crashes. Much of this highway traverses rural areas, where there are more impaired drivers. The lack of public transportation in these areas also means crashes are more likely, especially at night. Some drunk drivers involved in these crashes on I-90 reportedly had a blood alcohol concentrations of 0.214, nearly triple the legal limit of 0.08. The deep ditches and narrow shoulders of rural areas of the roadway also contribute to the high number of crashes on this stretch.
Beartooth Highway
Beartooth Highway is another highly dangerous Montana road. It is 1,000 feet above the tree line and connects two small towns. The original road was made of gravel with only 84-inch lanes and no guardrails. Some of these road conditions still exist today, making U-turns or three-point turns very dangerous. The road sees significant snow in the winter and even well into spring that could trap drivers unaware of the local weather conditions. Sometimes the highway is closed altogether due to snow.
Drive safely on dangerous roads
These are only two examples of dangerous roads in Montana; many others exist and see a significant number of car accidents each year. Taking care whenever you are on the road is essential to making sure you and others sharing the road arrive at your destinations safely.