Wisconsin traffic crashes killed 42 people in January

In January, 42 people died in 38 traffic crashes in Wisconsin, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Traffic deaths last month were three more than last January and three more than the five-year average for the month of January.  As of the end of January, 33 drivers, seven passengers and two pedestrians have died from traffic crashes. The safest month of January in terms of traffic fatalities occurred in 2010 with 20 deaths, and the deadliest January was in 1964 with 82 fatalities.

“As we begin 2012, we are striving to maintain a downward trend in annual traffic fatalities at levels not experienced since the 1920s.  Last year, Wisconsin had fewer than 600 traffic deaths for the fourth year in a row. The last time that occurred for four consecutive years was from 1923 to 1927,” said State Patrol Maj. Sandra Huxtable, director of the Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Transportation Safety, in a press release. “Ultimately, our goal is to reduce the number of preventable traffic deaths to zero in Wisconsin.”

To help prevent traffic crashes, drivers need to slow down and eliminate distractions while behind the wheel, especially during winter weather when roads can suddenly become treacherous.

“If you text on a cell phone, eat a meal, or search for items inside your vehicle while driving, you’re increasing your risk of a crash,” Major Huxtable says. “Eliminating distractions while driving is even more critical this time of year when snow, ice, sleet, fog and other inclement weather reduces your visibility and your vehicle’s traction. If you don’t pay attention to your driving, you could cause a crash or fail to avoid one.”