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N.D.(NewsDakota.com) – As of May 31st of this year, 49 people have been killed in 43 crashes on North Dakota highways.

Sergeant Tom Iverson with the North Dakota Highway Patrol said that 22 – more than half – of the fatal crashes took place in the northwest region, the oil patch. Iverson said that McKenzie County has had the most so far at 10 fatal crashes, with Williams County right behind it at 7 fatal crashes.

Iverson said that what’s unfortunate is that many of the crashes are preventable.

Though alcohol is a factor in many of the crashes, Iverson says the percentage is down from last year at this time. He says so far this year, about 33 percent of the fatal crashes were alcohol related, while last year it was just over 50 percent.

Iverson says that could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps increased enforcement efforts, educational campaigns, and public compliance.