Traffic deaths in June continue downward trend

July 3, 2008

With a total of 51 fatalities in 45 traffic crashes, last month was the second safest month of June in terms of traffic deaths in Wisconsin since World War II, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The safest month of June occurred in 1946 with 45 traffic deaths, and the deadliest month of June was in 1956 with 115 fatalities.

Traffic fatalities in June were nine fewer than in June 2007 when 60 people died in 59 crashes and 20 fewer than the five-year average of 71 deaths in 65 crashes during the month of June.

As of June 30, a total of 250 people have died in 231 Wisconsin traffic crashes during 2008, including 24 motorcycle drivers, two motorcycle passengers, 19 pedestrians and one bicyclist. Traffic deaths through June were 88 fewer than during the same period in 2007 and 102 fewer than the five-year average.

"Each month since October 2007, we've had lower fatality totals compared to the same month in the previous year. Overall in 2008, traffic deaths are down about 27 percent compared with the same period in 2007. However, we can't be complacent because July, August and September typically are high-fatality months," says Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety. "Record high fuel prices, which tend to decrease vehicle speeds and traffic volumes, have contributed to this reduction in fatalities. But we feel that this decline also can be attributed to more motorists making the right decisions to buckle up, slow down and drive sober. Motorists deserve a lot of credit for saving their own lives and the lives of others on the road."

For more information, contact:
Dennis Hughes
(608) 267-9075, dennis.hughes@dot.state.wi.us