Montana Highway Patrol 2014 Annual Report
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Montana Highway Patrol 2014 Annual Report Prepared by the Montana Highway Patrol Montana Highway Patrol 2014 Annual Report Table of Contents Content Page Table of contents Attorney General Tim Fox Colonel Tom Butler Division Goals Mission Statement Core Values Montana Highway Patrol District Map Montana Highway Patrol Districts District 1—Missoula 1 District 2—Great Falls 2 District 3—Butte 3 District 4—Billings 4 District 5—Glendive 5 District 6—Kalispell 6 District 7—Bozeman 7 District 8—Havre 8 Strategic Traffic Enforcement Team 9 Highway Patrol Activity 10 General Crash Information Annual Traffic Rates 11 Where Crashes Occurred 12 Crashes by County 13 Crashes by Day of Week 14 Crashes by Month 15 Crashes by Light Condition 16 Crashes by Road Condition 17 Crashes by Weather Condition 18 Crashes by Trafficway 19 Crashes by Collision 20 Vehicle Information Vehicles by First Harmful Event 21 Vehicles by Most Harmful Event 22 Vehicles by Body Style 23 Motorcycle Crashes 24 Helmet Use 25 Occupant Information Driver-Related Contributing Circumstances 26 Top 10 Contributing Circumstances Chart 27 Drivers by Belt Use 28 Non-Drivers by Belt Use 29 Crash/Injury Severity Daylight Hours 30 Crash/Injury Severity Non-Daylight Hours 31 Drivers by Age and Sex Chart Fatality Information Fatalities by Age and Sex Chart Fatalities by County 1935-2010 32-40 Fatal Calendar 41 Fatalities during Major Holiday Periods 42 Total Fatalities Chart 2001-2020 43 ATTORNEY GENERAL STATE OF MONTANA Tim Fox Department of Justice Attorney General Joseph P. Mazurek Justice Bldg. 215 North Sanders P.O. Box 201401 Helena, MT 59620-1401 Fellow Montanans, As I write this, the latest 2014 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being survey results reveal that Montana rounds out the top fivehappiest states in America. In fact, Montanans who were polled indicated so much pride in where they live, coupled with feelings of safety, that we ranked second in the national survey's communities category. While it 's difficultto point to any one entity or element as the source of our collective satisfaction, I can confidently say that the men and women of the Montana Highway Patrol are some of our most visible law enforcement officers, interactingwith thousands of Montanans and visitors, logging over six million miles on our roadways last year alone. Our Troopers are there in the remotest corners. offering assistance to the traveling public and enforcing the law when drunk drivers or drug runners threaten the safety of our neighbors. And while we value our traditions, we' re also keeping up with new ways of addressing the complexities of today's criminal activities. Last summer, MHP acquired its first K-9 narcotic units, deploying them strategically throughout the state. Criminal interdiction efforts with the K-9 units in 2014 netted nine pounds of meth and 27 pounds of marijuana. MHP also worked hard last year to outreach to the public about the importance of safe driving behaviors. In 2014, Montanans experienced a 30% decrease in speeding-related fatalities , and deaths attributed to not wearing a seat belt dropped by nearly 16%. Overall, fatalities on our roads fell by approximately 15% last year. Crashes where alcohol played a role rose by about 10% from 2013 to 2014; however, the number of Montana's alcohol-related fatalities in 2014 was down compared to recent years. This is partially due to the success of the 2417 Sobriety Program, which saves lives by requiring participants to take daily breath alcohol tests. Last year, over 183 ,000 tests were conducted in 24 I 7 counties at no cost to our taxpayers. The 2417 Sobriety Program keeps participants sober, accountable, and out of jail; we look forward to its continuing expansion in the years ahead. As a life-long Montanan, I, too, am proud to call this place home, and even more proud of the work that Highway Patrol Colonel Tom Butler and his team do to keep our families safe in communities across Big Sky Country. TELEPHONE: (406) 444-2026 FAX: (406) 444-3549 E-MAIL: [email protected] · WEB: mtdoj.gov Legal Seivices Division * Division of Criminal Investigation * Highway Patrol Division * Forensic Science Division Gambling Control Division * Motor VehicleMONTANA Dh•ision DEPARTMENT* lnfomution Technology OF JUSTICE Sciviccs Division * Central Seiviccs Division MONTANA HIGHWAY PATROL DIVISION GOALS Work to build relationships with our citizens and communities. We will also work to continue building partnerships with other state, federal, county, municipal and tribal agencies. Enhance the professional development of our sworn and civilian employees and promote a high degree of professionalism and accountability. Continue to be responsive to the needs of our customers through safe and timely response to all calls for service. Ensure a safe and secure working environment for all MHP employees. Continue our efforts to be recognized as one of the leading state law enforcement agencies in the nation. _________________________ Date___________________ Colonel Tom Butler Chief Administrator OUR MISSION The mission of your Montana Highway Patrol is to focus on safeguarding the lives, property, and constitutional rights of people traveling the ways of our state. Service is what the MHP is about. Service is "to be of assistance to." This can take the form of: Service to the citizens of Montana, Service to those passing through our state, Service to other agencies, and Service to each other. Many times, this service is performed through the enforcement of traffic and criminal codes. For example, by removing a DUI suspect from our highways, we have potentially saved an innocent person from death or injury. The same goes for enforcement of speed and safety belt violations. Changing human behavior through education and enforcement of the standards set by society serves all. Integrity means having the personal ability to be honorable and upright and exercising that ability in every situation. Basically, we are to b e honest in our dealings with each other, our agency, the citizens that we serve, and ourselves. This value is the key to everything else we do. It is the behavioral foundation of the individual employee, who in turn is the foundation of the agency. Without integrity on an individual or collective level, we are nothing. Respect is an unbiased consideration and regard for rights, values, beliefs and property: It is much more than just being polite; it is a deeper commitment to the beliefs stated in the C onstitution of the United States, which is something those of us in uniform took an oath to uphold. Respect can and must be shown to all those we contact, even those who may not respect us or our authority to enforce society's laws. These core values will be the foundation on which the vision is built. The vision in turn will decide the direction that the agency will take in the future. The Colonel has made it clear that it is his desire that the MHP become a leader in the world of law enforcement in the northwestern United States. Something this bold will take the input and efforts of all of us. MMOONNTTAANNAA HHIIGGHHWWAAYY PPAATTRROOLL DDIISSTTRRIICCTTSS D a n i e l s S h e r i d a n L i n c o l n T o o l e G l a c i e r H i l l F l a t h e a d L i b e r t y B l a i n e P h i l l i p s V a l l e y P o n d e r a R o o s e v e l t C h o u t e a u T e t o n L a k e R i c h l a n d S a n d e r s M c C o n e L e w i s C a s c a d e M i F e r g u s D a w s o n n e r a G a r f i e l d l a n d P e t r o l e u m J u d i t h M i s s o u l a C l a r k B a s i n P r a i r i e W i b a u x R o s e b u d P o w e l l M e a g h e r M u s s e l s h e l l W h e a t l a n d F a l l o n G r a n i t e B r o a d - T r G o l d e n e a s u R a v a l l i J e f f e r s o n w a t e r V a l l e y r e D e e r C u s t e r L o d g e Y e l l o w s t o n e S i l v e r B o w S w e e t G r a s s S t i l l - G a l l a t i n w a t e r P a r k P o w d e r C a r t e r R i v e r B i g H o r n M a d i s o n B e a v e r h e a d C a r b o n Map Legend PREPARED BY THE Montana Highway Patrol STATE OF MONTANA 4 District Number Scale in Miles DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 10 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 MHP Districts ROAD INVENTORY AND MAPPING SECTION Created January 2014 in ArcGIS 10.2 using ArcMap.