Are Montana Teen Drivers Among The Worst in The U.S?

If you have a teen driver or will soon have one in the house, then this is going to be pretty important for you to read.

As we all know, the driving in Bozeman is a bit sporadic, to say it mildly. I am constantly seeing people completed distracted. Whether people are on their phones, speeding through red lights, or not understanding how to use a roundabout, the driving is not perfect by any means.

A recent study came out, from Market Watch, that evaluated each state and teen drivers in those states, and Montana definitely could use some more practice.

Get our free mobile app

Nationwide, 13% of all traffic crash fatalities involved young drivers. Now in Montana, that average is much higher.  Montana is a top leader in teen driving fatalities with 17.6%. That comes out to be about 35% higher than the national average.

Boys vs. girls.

Does the gender of the teen driver matter? Typically no, but in this case the numbers don't lie. Some data suggests that per 100,000 car accidents, about 25 drivers are young females and 60 are young males.

I have a 16 year old and luckily, he has always told me to slow down, get off your phone, don't answer that call, you know, the typically nagging thing kids do. But as I look back at it over the years, I am thankful he is cautious about driving.

Montana isn't the worst, which is good news, but we are in the top 5.

What factors are considered when it comes to distracted teen driving? Many things, but I think we can all say these specific factors are an issue for adult drivers as well.

• Inexperience
• Restraint Use
• Distracted driving
• Times of day/week
• Reckless Driving Behaviors

You can read the entire report from Market Watch right HERE.

cc: Market Watch