2008 showed fewer American Indian highway fatalities

The Montana Department of Transportation recently announced that crash deaths among Native Americans in Montana in 2008 were less than 12 percent of all fatalities. The number reflects a decrease of 37 percent over the previous year. American Indians comprise about 6.3 percent of the population in Montana, but historically, they have represented about fourteen to twenty percent of the motor vehicle crash fatalities in the state.

American Indian fatalities in Montana were down for the second year. (Montana Department of Transportation.)

“Sixteen fewer Indian lives were lost on the roadways in 2008, compared to the previous year,” said Montana Department of Transportation Director Jim Lynch. “One year doesn’t make a trend, but the numbers are moving in the right direction.” The number of fatalities from 1995 to 2007 has averaged 40 Native Americans per year. Most of the deaths are among those aged 15 to 34.

In June 2005, MDT facilitated the Montana Tribal Safety Conscious Planning Forum, which has become a model for other states. Representatives of the Little Shell Tribe of the Chippewa Cree as well as tribes from the reservations in Montana gathered in Helena to participate in discussion of strategies to reduce transportation-related crashes, injuries and deaths among Native Americans.

In October 2005, MDT invited tribal partners to help develop a Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan (CHSP) for the state. Reduction of Native American traffic deaths is one of the major emphasis areas of the plan. Also in 2005, MDT began a community-based program that became known as Safe On All Roads (SOAR). The program, which strives to increase seat belt use and reduce impaired driving, is now active on all seven reservations in Montana.

“A lot of factors influence the number of deaths,” said Lynch. Weather patterns, the number of vehicle miles traveled, the population of drivers in high-risk age groups, the distances between the crash site and a trauma center-these and other factors can affect the trend in fatalities.

“We do know that if more people wear their seat belts, more people will live. If more Native Americans consistently buckle up, the number of lives lost will be fewer. That’s the bottom line,” said Lynch.

In addition to the Safe On All Roads program and coordination with tribal partners, MDT is also helping to fund extra patrols and equipment for some law enforcement agencies on the reservations and encouraging tribal agencies to enforce seat belt and DUI laws and start DUI task forces. These projects to reduce Native American crash deaths earned MDT and the Tribes a national award from the Federal Highway Administration in 2008.

Lynch emphasized that summer is a critical time to drive safely. “July, August and September tend to be months of high fatality numbers among Native Americans. During this time when families travel to pow wows and other summer festivals, it is crucial that we work together to prevent vehicle crashes,” he said.

Jim Lynch is the Governor’s Representative for Highway Safety and the Montana Department of Transportation’s Tribal Liaison. Comments can be sent at www.mdt.mt.gov. For more information about the Safe On All Roads program, visit www.safeonallroads.com.