Wisconsin traffic deaths in 2013 were the lowest in almost 70 years.
Preliminary figures from the state Department of Transportation show that 527 people died on state roads last year, the lowest since 1944 when 526 people were killed. Last year’s deaths were 12 percent fewer than in 2012 and they were 44 less than the average for the past five years.
State Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb gives motorists the most credit for the drop in highway deaths, noting that more motorists buckled up, drove sober, slowed down, and paid attention to the roads. Gottlieb also cites better enforcement, education, and road engineering for the decline in traffic deaths.
The number of passenger deaths in Wisconsin dropped by 41 last year, to 83. Motorcycle deaths dropped by 28 percent to 84, due mainly to a shorter riding season caused by a late start to spring last year.