August 2016 is safest month on Wisconsin roads since World War II
MADISON -- Last month was the least deadly August on Wisconsin roads since World War II.
With 50 traffic fatalities, August was the safest month on Wisconsin roads in terms of traffic deaths since World War II. Traffic fatalities last month also were 14 fewer than August 2015 and 15 fewer than the five-year average for the month August, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).
Officials say the deadliest month of August was in 1969 with 154 fatalities—the single worst month for traffic deaths in Wisconsin history.
As of August 31, a total of 387 people have died in Wisconsin traffic crashes in 2016, including 53 motorcycle operators, four motorcycle passengers, 28 pedestrians and 10 bicyclists. Traffic deaths through the end of August were 33 more than during the same period in 2015 and 32 more than the five-year average.
David Pabst, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety issued the following statement in a news release:
"Although traffic fatalities so far this year are up about 9 percent compared with last year, we are encouraged that fatalities went down significantly last month. Because of increased traffic, August typically is a high fatality month."