Wisconsin traffic crashes kill 34 people in February

March 1, 2012

Last month, 34 people died in 25 traffic crashes in Wisconsin, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Traffic fatalities last month were 12 more than in February 2011 and one more than the five-year average for the month of February.

As of the end of February, 78 people have died in 65 Wisconsin traffic crashes, including three pedestrians along with 54 drivers and 21 passengers. Traffic deaths through February were 17 more than during the same period in 2011 and seven more than the five-year average.

In terms of traffic deaths, the safest month of February occurred last year with 22 traffic fatalities, and the deadliest month of February was in 1968 when 73 people were killed on Wisconsin roads.

"Traffic deaths are higher so far this year compared with last year. There are many reasons for this increase. However, a significant factor has been several crashes this year that resulted in multiple fatalities in large part because the driver and passengers were unbuckled," says State Patrol Major Sandra Huxtable, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety. "The best protection against being ejected from a vehicle during a crash or thrown around violently inside it and possibly hitting another vehicle occupant with massive force is to always wear safety belts. Tragically, too many drivers and passengers still ignore the safety belt law. On average during the last three years, there have been more than 100,000 convictions in Wisconsin for failure to wear safety belts. Click It or Ticket is more than just a slogan. It’s one of the best ways to help reduce the number of preventable traffic deaths to zero in Wisconsin."

For more information, contact:
State Patrol Major Sandra Huxtable, WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety
(608) 266-3048, sandra.huxtable@dot.wi.gov