Fatal crashes in Wisconsin
In 2024, 595 people died in 529 fatal crashes on Wisconsin roads, 1.5% more than in 2023. That is about 2 deaths a day, and 1.5% of all road deaths in the United States.
Wisconsin ranks 26th of 51 by road deaths in 2024.
Road deaths in Wisconsin since 1975
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them. 2024 is the latest year NHTSA has published; the 2024 figures are from the Annual Report File and may be revised when NHTSA releases the final file. The 2025 file is expected in spring 2027.
The deadliest roads in Wisconsin
US 12 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Wisconsin from 2015 to 2024: 109, with 121 deaths. Interstate, US and state routes ranked by fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024; ramps and frontage roads are left out (41 crashes). Roads with 15 or more fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024 have their own page.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | Counties with the most | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US 12 | 109 | 121 | 28 | Dane, Walworth, Eau Claire |
| 2 | I-94 | 104 | 119 | 37 | Waukesha, Milwaukee, St Croix |
| 3 | I-41 | 92 | 101 | 26 | Milwaukee, Washington, Outagamie |
| 4 | State Highway 35 | 82 | 92 | 27 | Polk, Pierce, Burnett |
| 5 | I-43 | 79 | 93 | 28 | Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Ozaukee |
| 6 | State Highway 32 | 76 | 79 | 25 | Kenosha, Racine, Oconto |
| 7 | US 151 | 71 | 80 | 23 | Dane, Dodge, Fond Du Lac |
| 8 | US 51 | 69 | 72 | 18 | Dane, Rock, Oneida |
| 9 | US 45 | 64 | 67 | 19 | Fond Du Lac, Washington, Waupaca |
| 10 | I-39 | 63 | 72 | 21 | Dane, Rock, Columbia |
| 11 | US 14 | 59 | 65 | 19 | Rock, Dane, La Crosse |
| 12 | US 8 | 57 | 63 | 15 | Polk, Barron, Rusk |
| 13 | US 10 | 55 | 66 | 17 | Waupaca, Portage, Wood |
| 14 | State Highway 29 | 51 | 57 | 14 | Shawano, Marathon, Chippewa |
| 15 | State Highway 13 | 48 | 51 | 16 | Adams, Price, Marathon |
| 16 | State Highway 11 | 47 | 53 | 15 | Racine, Walworth, Green |
| 17 | US 53 | 47 | 49 | 14 | Douglas, La Crosse, Eau Claire |
| 18 | State Highway 33 | 46 | 54 | 12 | Dodge, Columbia, Sauk |
| 19 | I-90 | 43 | 52 | 10 | Sauk, Juneau, Monroe |
| 20 | US 18 | 43 | 46 | 17 | Milwaukee, Iowa, Waukesha |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest counties in Wisconsin
Milwaukee County had the most fatal crashes in Wisconsin from 2015 to 2024: 780, with 861 deaths. 73 counties in Wisconsin recorded a fatal crash in those years; the 20 with the most are listed.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee | 84 | 780 | 861 |
| 2 | Dane | 30 | 311 | 352 |
| 3 | Waukesha | 17 | 198 | 207 |
| 4 | Rock | 12 | 191 | 210 |
| 5 | Racine | 13 | 155 | 171 |
| 6 | Kenosha | 8 | 138 | 149 |
| 7 | Brown | 17 | 133 | 154 |
| 8 | Walworth | 12 | 128 | 140 |
| 9 | Outagamie | 12 | 126 | 131 |
| 10 | Dodge | 13 | 111 | 127 |
| 11 | Marathon | 9 | 110 | 119 |
| 12 | Fond Du Lac | 12 | 107 | 119 |
| 13 | Winnebago | 13 | 102 | 108 |
| 14 | Sauk | 7 | 101 | 107 |
| 15 | Washington | 10 | 93 | 99 |
| 16 | Columbia | 8 | 92 | 114 |
| 17 | Sheboygan | 4 | 85 | 99 |
| 18 | Jefferson | 12 | 85 | 96 |
| 19 | Wood | 12 | 85 | 94 |
| 20 | Polk | 7 | 83 | 98 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in Wisconsin
The heaviest slot is Saturday, 4 to 8 pm, with 232 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 3 pm to 4 pm; the worst month is August.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 3.6 percent, 191 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 57 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 97 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 164 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 204 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 150 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 1.2 percent, 63 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 75 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 89 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 134 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 140 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 100 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.0 percent, 55 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 86 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 97 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 164 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 132 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 90 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.1 percent, 57 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 68 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 124 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 156 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 155 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 119 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.4 percent, 74 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 83 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 98 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 152 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 180 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 106 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.7 percent, 91 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 86 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 118 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 152 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 188 fatal crashes | 3.8 percent, 198 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.1 percent, 164 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 72 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 125 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 191 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 232 fatal crashes | 3.8 percent, 200 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.1%
- Feb5.9%
- Mar5.8%
- Apr7.1%
- May8.9%
- Jun9.9%
- Jul10.4%
- Aug10.8%
- Sep10.8%
- Oct9.7%
- Nov7.9%
- Dec6.6%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where fatal crashes happen in Wisconsin: rural or urban, intersection, dark or daylight
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across the United States.
| Wisconsin | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 63% | 43% | above the US share |
| At or near an intersection | 28% | 25% | above the US share |
| In daylight | 53% | 46% | above the US share |
| In the dark, road lit | 14% | 21% | below the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 27% | 28% | about the same as the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Who died on Wisconsin roads in 2024
| Road user | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants | 419 | 70% |
| Motorcyclists | 106 | 18% |
| Pedestrians | 58 | 9.7% |
| Cyclists | 8 | 1.3% |
| Others (on personal conveyances, in parked vehicles, in buildings) | 4 | 0.7% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes happen in Wisconsin: alcohol, speeding, seat belts, hit-and-run
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024 with the factor recorded, against the US share. "A drinking driver" is NHTSA's drinking-driver flag (police-reported drinking or any positive alcohol test), not its "alcohol-impaired" figure. "Unbelted" is the share of passenger-vehicle occupants killed whose belt use is known (3,387 in Wisconsin).
| Wisconsin | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A drinking driver | 33% | 26% | above the US share |
| Speeding | 31% | 27% | above the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 48% | 49% | about the same as the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 5.4% | 6.5% | below the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 17% | 16% | above the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What the first harmful event was
What each fatal crash first hit, 2015 to 2024.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 2,255 | 42% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 1,656 | 31% |
| Pedestrian | 514 | 9.5% |
| Rollover | 496 | 9.1% |
| Other | 349 | 6.4% |
| Cyclist | 99 | 1.8% |
| Parked vehicle | 61 | 1.1% |
| Not reported | 1 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Vehicles in fatal crashes in Wisconsin
Every vehicle in a fatal crash from 2015 to 2024, by body type (7,899 vehicles).
| Type | Vehicles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cars | 2,985 | 38% |
| SUVs | 1,613 | 20% |
| Pickups | 1,095 | 14% |
| Motorcycles | 969 | 12% |
| Vans | 457 | 5.8% |
| Truck-tractors | 409 | 5.2% |
| Other trucks | 336 | 4.3% |
| Buses | 35 | 0.4% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Road pages for Wisconsin
Every numbered road in Wisconsin with 15 or more fatal crashes from 2022 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, county, hour and weekday.
Where the Wisconsin numbers come from
Every figure on this page is counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the federal census of fatal crashes on US public roads, 2024 Annual Report File. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Road names are normalised ("I35 FRONTAGE" and "I-35" are the same road; frontage roads and ramps are left out of road counts). Fields NHTSA coded as unknown show as "Not reported"; a share is only given over 20 crashes, otherwise "Not enough data". The full method.