MADISON, WI (WSAU) — According to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, this past January was the third safest since World War II in terms of fatalities with 32.
Director of the Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Transportation Safety, David Pabst, says the weather may have something to do with the lower numbers.
“This January had some poor weather in it so that tends to slow people down and also soften crashes that people do have,” said Pabst. “If you have a vehicle rollover, for instance, when there’s a nice bed of snow it makes it less violent.”
Pabst also offered some tips when it comes to crashes and how to avoid them.
He said, “Number one you always have to wear your seatbelt. It’s the most important safety tool we have in the vehicle. And the next is your brain, your hands, and your eyes, and to make sure that those are engaged in the driving task. You’ve got to put the phone away. Put it in the glove box, turn it off, so you don’t hear it buzz.”
The safest January was in 2010 with 20 fatalities. So far this year 21 drivers, 10 passengers, and 1 pedestrian have died in crashes.
