Oklahoma Records 58 Traffic Fatalities in August

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety says 58 people died in traffic crashes in August. That’s compared with 65 in the same month last year.

The new numbers released Wednesday show that five of the fatal crashes involved alcohol. The dead include 45 Oklahoma residents and 13 non-residents.

The agency says Oklahoma County had the highest number of fatalities at seven, followed by Tulsa County with five. The highest number of crashes occurred on state highways.

According to the data, 65 percent of those who died in traffic collisions weren’t wearing seatbelts.

Through Oct. 7, Oklahoma has recorded 491 traffic fatalities for 2013. The state was at 539 deaths at the same point last year.