July traffic deaths lowest since WWII

In terms of traffic deaths, last month was the safest month of July in Wisconsin since World War II.

Forty-four people died in 43 traffic crashes in July, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT). The deadliest months of July were in 1978 and 1979 with 114 fatalities.

Traffic fatalities in July were 18 fewer than in July 2008, when 62 people died in 58 crashes, and 34 fewer than the five-year average of 78 deaths in 71 crashes during the month of July.

Five traffic fatalities occurred during this year’s brief Fourth of July holiday period from Friday night, July 3, through Sunday, July 5.

As of July 31, a total of 296 people have died in Wisconsin traffic crashes during 2009, including 51 motorcycle drivers, five motorcycle passengers, 16 pedestrians and six bicyclists. Traffic deaths through July were 19 fewer than during the same period in 2008 and 105 fewer than the five-year average.

“July is typically a high-fatality month, so the drop last month in traffic deaths is quite astonishing. We don’t have enough data yet to theorize why this happened. But it’s worth noting that July was the first month for primary safety belt enforcement in Wisconsin, and we feel that more people may be buckling up as a result,” said Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for the Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Transportation Safety.