DOT: August was deadliest month on Wis. roadways in 2014

69 peopled died in traffic-related crashes, officials say

MADISON, Wis. — August was the deadliest month on Wisconsin roads so far this year, according to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation release.

Officials said there were 69 traffic fatalities last month. The second-highest month for traffic fatalities in 2014 was June with 50 traffic deaths.

There were four more fatalities in August 2014 compared to August 2013, and there were seven more than the five-year average for the month of August, according to the release.

Over the Labor Day weekend, six people died in crashes compared with 10 deaths last year, officials said.

“In the last five years, August on average has been the worst month for traffic fatalities,” Director of WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety David Pabst said in the release. “Although traffic fatalities increased last month, overall they are still down significantly compared with the same period in 2013 and the five-year average.”

Pabst said the all-time deadliest month on Wisconsin roads is still August 1969 with 154 traffic deaths.

As of Aug. 31, 320 people have died in Wisconsin traffic crashes in 2014, including 51 motorcycle drivers, five motorcycle passengers, 22 pedestrians and three bicyclists, according to the release.