Independence Day weekend claims several lives on the roadways.
Fifteen individuals have died in traffic crashes during the three-day fourth-of-July holiday. Dennis Hughes with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says nearly half of them were motorcyclists.
"There are a lot of difference hazards that motorcyclists face, especially at certain times of the day and in darkness. There's a lot of deer running around out in Wisconsin and a lot of other things that put motorcyclists especially at risk."
Six motorcycle drivers and a motorcycle passenger died over the recent holiday weekend, along with three car drivers, three occupants and two pedestrians, according to preliminary data.
"Some of the crashes are going to be alcohol-related. We don't have all of that data in just yet."
Hughes says everybody's at risk at any time on the roadways, and especially on the holidays. He says, unfortunately, alcohol is usually a factor. Hughes says it's the deadliest July 4th since the 2005 holiday, when 16 people lost their lives. That year was also a three-day weekend.
This year's 4th of July holiday started at 6:00 pm on Thursday the third and lasted through midnight on Sunday.