There have been some horrific traffic accidents involving teens in Wisconsin, but state transportation officials contend a law passed more than a decade ago is working to keep kids safe behind the wheel.

The latest tragedy came in Fond du Lac County last weekend, when three teenage girls were killed while out driving with a group of friends. Officials say the driver lost control of the vehicle, rolling it multiple times in a farm field and ejecting several passengers.

Despite the latest incident, state Traffic Safety Director Sandy Huxtable says crashes and fatalities involving teens have declined in the past decade. She credits a 2000 law that created a graduated drivers license in Wisconsin.

AUDIO: Maj. Sandy Huxtable (:19)

The graduated drivers license program restricts the ability of teens to drive for their first two years behind the wheel. It’s intended to give them more experience by controlling who can ride in the vehicle with them and the hours they can drive.

Since the law’s passage, Huxtable says crashes involving drivers between 16 and 18 are down about 25-percent, while fatalities have decreased nearly 50-percent.

WIBA’s John Colbert contributed to this report.

For the fourth consecutive year, Wisconsin in 2011 had fewer than 600 traffic deaths. The last time the state had fewer than 600 traffic fatalities for four years in a row was 84-years ago – from 1924 to 1927. Major Sandra Huxtable, director of the Bureau of Transportation Safety, notes the number of vehicles and the miles traveled were minuscule compared to today. Wisconsin ended 2011 with 569 traffic deaths, which is seven more than 2010 but 59 fewer than the previous five-year average, according to preliminary statistics from the Department of Transportation. [Read more...]

After spending time with friends and family during the holidays and getting ready to return home, consider your driving conditions — and Pam Moen with Triple-A Wisconsin is not talking about the weather. She warns against mix drinking with driving. Either don’t drink, or have a designated driver.

It’s important to remember that impairment begins with the first sip of alcohol. And, Moen has more helpful reminders before hitting the road. “Two of the other … we call them ‘Deadly Ds’ of driving, in addition to drunk driving, is drowsy and distracted driving.”

Get lots of sleep before driving and then take plenty of breaks during long trips. Moen suggests pulling over to a safe location to take a nap if you do feel tired behind the wheel. Also, she says, it is the driver’s responsibility to keep eyes, mind and body fully focused on the task of driving. A passenger can text and navigate. If traveling alone, pull over to a safe location before performing distracting tasks.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:21

Despite a rapid rise in gas prices earlier this year, consumers are seeing more relief at the pump lately.

In May of this year, Wisconsin saw the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel top the $4.11 mark, setting a new state record. AAA-Wisconsin’s Pam Moen says prices have headed down since then, although they have remained much higher than previous years.

During some parts of 2011, Moen says there were days when consumers were paying as much as $1.17 more per gallon than they were on that same date in 2010. However, Moen says the gap has shrunk significantly as we near the end of the year and currently sits at about $0.18.

Moen says the drop is good news for drivers and gives her some hope that prices might actually dip back down below the $3.00 a gallon mark. It’s unclear when that might happen though.

Moen says a number of factors kept the price up, including fluctuations in the price of crude oil, political instability in oil-producing nations, and natural disasters and weather events that slowed supply lines.

The current statewide average is about $3.21 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:05)

A recommendation from a federal agency for all states to ban the use of cell phones behind the wheel is drawing praise from a Wisconsin auto group. The National Transportation Safety Board voted unanimously Tuesday on a policy suggesting all states consider adopting laws against using cell phones and other portable electronic devices while driving, even if those devices are hands-free.

Pam Moen with AAA-Wisconsin says the NTSB went much further than she expected it would, although she welcomes the proposal. Moen says it’s the first time a major transportation safety agency has endorsed the concept of a total ban on cell phone use by drivers.

Moen notes that, just a few years ago, the idea of a texting ban was hard for many states to accept. Now, Wisconsin is among 35 states with a ban in place. Moen says the NTSB’s support of extending a ban to all cell phone use could help build momentum for the idea quickly.

The NTSB says there are growing concerns about the impact of technology on drivers. The recommendation follows the review of a deadly crash in Missouri that was caused by a texting driver.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:12)

Contributed by Rick Schuh, WHBY