I-15 in Montana: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 61 fatal crashes on I-15 in Montana killed 65 people, the 5th most of 133 numbered roads in Montana. In 2024 there were 6 fatal crashes and 6 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 9 counties of Montana. All fatal crashes in Montana. I-15 in every state.
Deaths on I-15 in Montana by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 6 |
| 2023 | 6 | 7 |
| 2022 | 6 | 6 |
| 2021 | 9 | 10 |
| 2020 | 6 | 6 |
| 2019 | 7 | 7 |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017 | 7 | 7 |
| 2016 | 3 | 5 |
| 2015 | 6 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-15 in Montana: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Cascade County had the most fatal crashes on I-15 from 2015 to 2024: 16, with 18 deaths. Cascade, Beaverhead and Jefferson counties together held 57% of fatal crashes on I-15 in Montana from 2015 to 2024; the 6 listed held 89%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cascade County | 2 | 16 | 18 |
| 2 | Beaverhead County | 2 | 10 | 11 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| 4 | Silver Bow County | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| 5 | Pondera County | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | Lewis and Clark County | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-15 in Montana
61 fatal crashes on I-15 in Montana from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 2 pm to 3 pm; the worst month is July.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 8.2 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 4.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 8.2 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 6.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Sat | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 6.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan8.2%
- Feb0.0%
- Mar4.9%
- Apr8.2%
- May13.1%
- Jun11.5%
- Jul18.0%
- Aug9.8%
- Sep4.9%
- Oct4.9%
- Nov4.9%
- Dec11.5%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-15 in Montana
1.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 396 miles of I-15 in Montana, against 2.8 for all interstates in Montana. That ranks 2 of 2 interstates in Montana and 171 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-15 in Montana first hit
The first harmful event was a rollover in 41%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 36%, a collision with another vehicle in 12%, a pedestrian in 4.9%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Rollover | 25 | 41% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 22 | 36% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 7 | 12% |
| Pedestrian | 3 | 4.9% |
| Other | 3 | 4.9% |
| Parked vehicle | 1 | 1.6% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-15 in Montana compare with the state
The largest difference from Montana: from 2015 to 2024, 26% of fatal crashes on I-15 in Montana were with a drinking driver, against 44% across Montana. Below the Montana share: intersections. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Montana. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 61 crashes.
| I-15 | Montana | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 89% | 84% | about the same as the Montana share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 15% | below the Montana share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 30% | 35% | about the same as the Montana share |
| A drinking driver | 26% | 44% | below the Montana share |
| Speeding | 28% | 36% | about the same as the Montana share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 8.2% | 8.7% | about the same as the Montana share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 60% | 64% | about the same as the Montana share |
| Hit-and-run | 3.3% | 2.7% | about the same as the Montana share |
| A motorcycle involved | 13% | 14% | about the same as the Montana share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 6.2% | 7.5% | about the same as the Montana share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-15 in Montana
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-15 in Montana?
- 61 fatal crashes killed 65 people on I-15 in Montana from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 6 fatal crashes and 6 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-15 in Montana do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Cascade County had the most fatal crashes on I-15 from 2015 to 2024: 16, with 18 deaths. Beaverhead County was second with 10.
- How dangerous is I-15 in Montana per mile?
- 1.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 396 miles of road, against 2.8 for all interstates in Montana. That ranks 2 of 2 interstates in Montana and 171 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Montana with a page
All fatal crashes in Montana, with every road ranked.
Where the I-15 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-15 in Montana (filed under 4 spellings, such as "I- 15", "I-15", "I-15 N", "I-15 S"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.