Traffic fatalities on the rise in Wisconsin
There was an increase in traffic death fatalities in Wisconsin in 2016, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation – an increase the DOT is contributing to lower gas prices and a better economy. According to an article posted by the Wisconsin State Journal, the Department of Transportation said 588 people were killed in crashes […]
There was an increase in traffic death fatalities in Wisconsin in 2016, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation – an increase the DOT is contributing to lower gas prices and a better economy.
According to an article posted by the Wisconsin State Journal, the Department of Transportation said 588 people were killed in crashes on Wisconsin roads in 2016, 33 more than the previous year and 40 more than the five-year average.
The numbers in 2016 were the highest they’ve been since 2012, when 601 people were killed on state roads.
“Low gas prices and an improving economy in 2016 likely contributed to an increase in the number of vehicles on the road and the miles traveled,” David Pabst, director of the Bureau of Transportation Safety at the DOT told the Wisconsin State Journal. “An increase in vehicle miles traveled can also increase the risk for crashes.”
- 319 drivers died in crashes in 2016, a 3 percent increase over the 309 drivers killed in 2015.
- Passenger deaths in vehicles went up 28 percent, from 93 in 2015 to 119 in 2016.
- Motorcycle operator deaths went from 77 in 2015 to 80 in 2016, a 4 percent increase.
- Six motorcycle passengers died in 2016, up 50 percent from the four deaths in 2015.
- Pedestrian fatalities went down 11 percent, from 55 in 2015 to 49 in 2016.
- Bicyclists killed on the road went down 27 percent, from 15 in 2015 to 11 in 2016.
- Four deaths were from unknown reasons, up from two last year.
Pabst told the Wisconsin State Journal that about 90 percent of crashes in Wisconsin are caused by drivers making bad decisions or engaging in dangerous habits.
In recent years, according to Pabst, there’s been an increase in distracted driving, including the use of cellphones behind the wheel.
“Since 1990, the worst year for traffic fatalities in Wisconsin was in 2003 when 836 people were killed in crashes, and the best year was in 2014 when 494 people lost their lives in crashes,” the article reads.
