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.