Like the rest of the country, the people of Wisconsin love to get out on the open road for a weekend getaway or lengthier road trip. As the cold winter months melt away and the highways heat up, it is important to be mindful that Wisconsin is statistically more dangerous for drivers in the summer months.
It would be easy to assume that wintertime is the more dangerous time to be on the road due to snow and ice. In fact, fatal traffic accident statistics in Wisconsin are influenced more heavily by the higher number of drivers on the roads and the larger distances they are driving. Traffic congestion is heavier in the summer months and generally rises year over year.
There is, in fact, a spike in fatal automobile accidents during summer months. For Wisconsin, more than half of reported fatal automobile accidents occur in the months of June, July and August.
Another contributing factor to Wisconsin's dangerous driving conditions is below-average seat belt usage, compared to many other states. Death or serious injury is seven times more likely for those who do not wear seat belts.
Driving while drunk is also a major factor in Wisconsin fatal traffic accidents, where there are more reported drunk drivers than in many other parts of the country. An anonymous survey indicates that 3.1 percent of survey participants in Wisconsin admitted to driving while drunk, significantly more than the national average of 1.9 percent.
Any time someone is involved in an automobile accident, qualified legal representation can help to protect the rights of those involved, no matter how slight or severe the damages or who the at-fault party is.
Source: WSAU.com, "Five Things You Should Know About The Summer Driving Season," Chris Conley, June 09, 2016