Wisconsin Sees Most Vehicle Crashes in the Fall and Early Winter Months
Thursday, August 6th, 2026 -- 11:00 AM
(Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Many drivers might be most wary of busy summer road trips, but the most dangerous months for driving in Wisconsin happen later in the year.
According to Blaise Mesa with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the cold weather months of November and December had the highest monthly crash totals in Wisconsin from 2021 to 2025, according to state Department of Transportation data.
Nick Jarmusz, regional director of public affairs for AAA, said there are multiple reasons the holiday months see more crashes. The bad winter weather is likely to make roads more hazardous, even for overconfident drivers who believe they can handle the conditions because they've driven in them before, he said.
The holiday season also means more people are traveling on the roads, and impaired drivers who have had too much to drink at a holiday party could be a problem too.
Between 2021 to 2025, the months with the most crashes in Wisconsin are:
- November: 63,722 accidents
- December: 62,165 accidents
- October: 60,322 accidents
- January: 55,226 accidents
- June: 53,602 accidents
The DOT has multiple online guides about safe driving. It warns against speeding and reckless driving and tells drivers to treat other motorists how they would want to be treated.
Tips for safe driving include:
- Watching your speed. Driving too fast can be deadly.
- Planning ahead to get to a destination in time, even if there's traffic
- Putting the phone down and buckling up
- Ignore honking and rude gestures from other drivers
- Don't drive when angry, upset or tired
- Let people pass in the left lane
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