A record low for traffic fatalities in Wisconsin.
Last month was the safest July on record in Wisconsin since World War II, according to Dennis Hughes with the state Department of Transportation. Overall, 44 people were killed in traffic crashes last month, 18 fewer than July of 2008. It's also 34 fewer than the state's five year average.
Hughes says the drop is unusual, due to the large amount of travel that typically goes on this time of year. He says July and August are usually the peak months for traffic fatalities, with more people on the roads.
Hughes says the decrease is likely the result of more people buckling up due to Wisconsin's new primary enforcement seatbelt law, and the cooler than usual summer weather. With colder temperatures in many parts of the state, he says fewer people were making those extra trips.
Through July 31, 296 people have been killed in Wisconsin traffic crashes this year.
