Wisconsin had the fewest traffic fatalities in the month of November since World War II. There were 36 traffic deaths statewide, 16 fewer fatalities than last November, and 13 fewer than Wisconsin’s five-year average.
It’s hard to pinpoint why traffic fatalities were so low last month according to Department of Transportation Safety Programs Chief Randy Romanski. He says mild, dry weather may have played a role, but that can also contribute to an increase in traffic. He says the department has worked to do a better job of engineering roads, and law enforcement is vigilant too, “There have been a variety of law enforcement activities that have occurred throughout the state of Wisconsin where multiple agencies join together to work cooperatively to stop and arrest impaired drivers.”
While November was a relatively safe month on state highways, there have been 55 more fatalities in the first 11 months of 2012, compared with last year. Of the 569 deaths on Wisconsin roads, about 20 percent have involved motorcycle accidents.
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Motorcycle-related fatalities have increased 34 percent from last year.
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