Last month 34 people died in Wisconsin traffic crashes, which was 21 fewer than February 2016 and one more than the five-year average for the month of February, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
So far this year, 70 people have been killed in crashes including seven pedestrians, DOT figures show. Traffic fatalities at the end of February were 15 fewer than the same period last year, a decrease of about 18 percent.
The safest month of February in terms of traffic deaths since the end of World War II occurred in 2014 with 21 fatalities, according to a DOT news release issued this week. The deadliest February was in 1968 with 73 fatalities.
With the onset of spring, more bicyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and scooter riders will be traveling on Wisconsin roads, according to David Pabst, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety.
“Last year, 79 motorcycle operators, six motorcycle passengers, 51 pedestrians, and 11 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes,” Pabst wrote in his release. “To prevent deaths and injuries, drivers must eliminate distractions and pay strict attention to the other roadway users around them. For their part, motorcyclists, pedestrians, bicyclists and scooter riders must obey traffic signals and be extremely cautious in traffic. We all must share the road safely.”
