WISCONSIN -- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has reported the number of fatalities for the first six months this year was approximately 15% higher than the same period last year.
According to preliminary DOT statistics, 266 people have died on Wisconsin roads in 2012 as of June 30, including 42 motorcycle operators, five motorcycle passengers, 16 pedestrians, and three bicyclists.
That compares with 230 traffic fatalities during the same period last year.
Last month, 61 people were killed in 56 crashes in Wisconsin, which were nine more deaths than in June 2011 and four more than the five year average for the month of June.
The safest month of June in terms of traffic deaths since World War II occurred in 1946 with 45 fatalities and the deadliest was in 1956 with 115 fatalities.
“Law enforcement officers around the state are out in force this summer to deter speeding, distracted driving, and drunken driving as well as ensure drivers and passengers are buckling up. But they can’t do it alone. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their safety and the safety of others on the road," Wisconsin State Patrol Major Sandra Huxtable said.