July was the deadliest month on Wisconsin roads this year, prompting the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) to issue a “call to action” urging all motorists to be safe/responsible.
A total of 66 people died in Wisconsin traffic crashes in July; three more than July of last year and 11 more than the five-year average for July.
“Through law enforcement and public education, we’re doing everything we can to urge motorists to travel safely and responsibly,” said David Pabst, Director of WisDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety. “But in the end, it’s the responsibility of every driver and passenger to do their part to prevent needless tragedies along our roadways.”
In the first seven months of this year, a preliminary total of 338 people died along Wisconsin roadways, surpassing the 335 people killed over the same period last year. The deaths include 192 car and truck drivers, 59 passengers, 45 motorcyclists and 38 pedestrians.
WisDOT has issued a special call to all motorists: buckle-up, slow down, be sober and alert behind the wheel every day – every trip.
The annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from August 18 through Labor Day will put more officers on the roads for longer hours looking for impaired drivers and other traffic law violators.
