Weekly Fiscal Facts are provided to Wisconsin Newspaper Association members by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the state’s leading resource for nonpartisan state and local government research and civic education. The Wisconsin Policy Forum logo can be downloaded here.
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Even as the nation saw an unprecedented drop in driving at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin recorded a significant increase in fatal car crashes and crash fatalities during the initial months of the crisis. This alarming uptick was fueled in part by increases of 50% or more in crash fatalities involving reckless driving behaviors such as alcohol or speeding
While 2020 crashes and injuries declined markedly in Wisconsin from March through July 31 compared to the same period in 2019 — 26.2% and 22.9% respectively — fatal crashes and crash fatalities increased during this time by 17.1% and 20%.
Our review shows Wisconsin was out of step with nationwide trends during much of this time though other Midwest states also have seen auto fatalities increase throughout 2020.
Nationally, a greater share of U.S. drivers involved in serious crashes were found to have alcohol or drugs in their system during the early months of the pandemic, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Additional agency research found that nationally, wholesale and retail alcohol sales increased during this period — and likely consumption.
In Wisconsin, alcohol-involved crash fatalities increased 50% during the study period in 2020 relative to 2019; drug-involved crash fatalities increased 45.8%; and speeding-involved crash fatalities increased 51.8%. Through October 2020, violations for speeding at 100 miles per hour or greater had more than doubled this year, according to data provided by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
While reasons for these trends are not fully understood, the data provides a sobering look at how more Wisconsinites lost their lives on state roadways in recent months, even as many stayed home more and traveled less. Moving forward, a key question is whether trends that began in March 2020 represent a brief blip or a sustained increase that demands a response by policymakers.
This information is provided to Wisconsin Newspaper Association members as a service of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the state’s leading resource for nonpartisan state and local government research and civic education. Learn more at wispolicyforum.org.
