Wisconsin Traffic Deaths Rose Last Year - By a Lot

WISCONSIN -- Traffic deaths across the United States rose by a 7.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, and the number was even higher for Wisconsin.

The state saw an 11.8 percent increase, with 556 in 2015, up from 506 in 2014, according to the data from the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Wisconsin saw 9.81 fatalities per 100,000 population, more than three times as many as the lowest state in the nation, Rhode Island, which saw 3.42 fatalities per 100,000 residents, and an increase from 2014's Wisocnsin rate of 8.79. With 24.74 fatalities per 100,000, Wyoming is the deadliest state.

The national average in 2015 was 10.92, an increase from 2014's 10.27 fatalities per 100,000 population.

Wisconsin recorded 189 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2015, approximately 20 more than the previous year.

Top 10 Deadliest Counties - 2015

Here are Wisconsin's top 10 counties when it came to fatal accidents last year, and the number of those who died.

81 Milwaukee
30 Dane
25 Racine
18 Rock
17 Octonto
15 Brown
15 Marathon
14 Walworth
14 Waupaca
13 Outagamie

Nationally, 35,092 people died due to crashes. That's up from 32,744 in 2014. The last time fatalities jumped by that much percentage-wise was from 1965 to 1966.

The sharp increase in auto deaths ended a downward trend. Since 2005, the number of roadway deaths decreased every year with the exception of 2012, where there was a small increase.

Even with the increase in fatalities, Wisconsin experienced one of the middling fatality rates per capita in 2015, ranking eight in the United States.

2015 Traffic Fatalities Per 100,000 Population

• National - 10.92

1. Wyoming 24.74
2. Mississippi 22.62
3. Montana 21.69
4. South Carolina 19.95
5. Arkansas 17.83
6. Alabama 17.47
7. North Dakota 17.31
8. Kentucky 17.2
9. Oklahoma 16.44
10. Louisiana 15.54
11. South Dakota 15.49
12. West Virginia 14.54
13. Tennessee 14.51
14. Florida 14.5
15. New Mexico 14.29
16. Missouri 14.28
17. Georgia 14
18. North Carolina 13.73
19. Delaware 13.32
20. Arizona 13.08
21. Idaho 13.05
22. Nebraska 12.97
23. Texas 12.8
24. Indiana 12.4
25. Kansas 12.19
26. Nevada 11.24
27. Oregon 11.09
28. Iowa 10.24
29. Colorado 10.01
30. Maine 9.85
31. Wisconsin 9.81
32. Michigan 9.71
33. Ohio 9.56
34. Pennsylvania 9.37
35. Utah 9.21
36. Vermont 9.1
37. Virginia 8.98
38. Alaska 8.8
39. New Hampshire 8.57
40. Maryland 8.54
41. California 8.11
42. Washington 7.92
43. Illinois 7.76
44. Minnesota 7.49
45. Connecticut 7.41
46. Hawaii 6.57
47. New Jersey 6.27
48. New York 5.66
49. Massachusetts 4.5
50. Rhode Island 4.26

The data also found that from 2014 to 2015:

• Traffic deaths resulting from drivers who were under the influence of alcohol increased by 3.2 percent, from 9,943 to 10,265.
• Traffic deaths involving a distracted driver — someone texting, eating or otherwise not paying full attention to the road — increased by 8.8 percent, from 3,197 to 3,477.
• Fatal crashes increased across every type of vehicle except for drivers of large trucks.
• The number of miles people traveled in a vehicle increased by 3.5 percent, 3,026 billion to 3,131 billion, the largest percentage increase since 1992.
• The number of people injured in traffic accidents increased by 105,000 to more 2.4 million.

You can read the full 2015 traffic fatalities report here
Traffic injuries also rose, showing a “statistically significant increase” of 105,000, according to the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report.
While fatalities were up, so was the amount of driving done on American roads, with vehicle miles traveled increasing by 3.5 percent from 2014 to 2015. That was the largest jump in nearly 25 years.

Marc Torrence contributed to this story.
Image Credit: Scott Anderson/Patch