Traffic deaths in Wisconsin during the month of January were at their second lowest level since the 1940s.
Preliminary figures released by the state Department of Transportation show 28 people were killed in traffic crashes last month. Those numbers include 21 drivers, six passengers and one pedestrian.
There were eight fewer traffice-related deaths compared to the same month last year, and 11 less than the five year average. The safest January on record for the state was in 2010, with 20 fatalities. January of 1964 marked the deadliest, with 82 fatalities.
David Pabst, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety says the best thing people can do to prevent crashes is to eliminate distractions while driving, such as using a cell phone, eating a meal, or searching for items in the car.