Traffic deaths in Wisconsin are down 30 percent from this same time one year ago.
As of April 21, 2008, there have been 137 traffic fatalities in Wisconsin this year compared to 188 the same time in 2007, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT).
Why the big increase in safer roads?
The DOT chalks it up to two reasons:
1) We had a very bad winter, so people either slowed down, or didn’t drive as much.
2) Gas prices have been on a steady rise, so motorists have cut back on their driving.
Even so, the news is remarkable. During March of 2008, Wisconsin had 27 fatalities. The DOT reports you have to go back to the World War II era with gas rationing, slower speed limits, and a much smaller population to find such a small monthly fatality rate.
There were 743 traffic fatalities in Wisconsin during 2007. So far this year, the state has recorded 137 fatalities in the first 112 days of 2008. If Wisconsin continues its current safe pace, it would end 2008 with less than 500 traffic deaths (447).
Here are more details from WISN-TV.
Drive carefully everyone.
