Fatal car crashes in Madison slightly dropped in 2022

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – The number of fatal car crashes and crashes that resulted in serious injury in Madison dropped slightly in 2022, according to new data from the city’s Vision Zero Program. Despite the number of car crashes rising slightly from 2021 to 2022, fewer people were hurt or killed on Madison roads during that same time frame. 

Madison’s Vision Zero program looks to eliminate all fatal car crashes in Madison by 2035. This would be accomplished by implementing a number of safety-related projects, like lowering speed limits and installing bike lanes and pedestrian walkways. City officials will release their progress report to the city’s Transportation Commission Wednesday night, containing crash data from 2022, the latest data available. 

14 people died in car-related accidents in Madison in 2022, down from 17 people who died in 2021. 76 people suffered serious injury from car-related accidents in 2022, compared to 87 people in 2021. In all, there was a 13% decrease in death or serious injuries on Madison streets from 2021 to 2022.

One of the biggest projects in the Vision Zero program is reducing speed limits around the city. When a pedestrian is hit by a car going 20 mph, there is about a 13% chance that they will sustain a fatal or serious injury. At 30 mph, that jumps to a 40% chance of serious injury, and at 40 mph a 73% chance. 

In 2022, the city reduced speed limits on 13.7 miles of road throughout Madison, the most since the Vision Zero program began. City transportation officials found that, at 31 selected sites that had speed limits reduced, the percentage of people driving 10 mph over the speed limit had reduced. Only 10 sites saw more people speeding 10 mph over the posted speed limit. 

Additionally, since Vision Zero started in 2020, Madison has built over six miles of new sidewalks, shared-use paths, or protected bike lanes, and added or improved over 11 miles of bike lanes throughout Madison.

Officials with Madison’s Traffic Engineering will present the full Vision Zero progress report to the city’s Transportation Commission this Wednesday at 5PM.