More people killed in Kansas crashes last year

More people died in crashes on Kansas roads last year than either of the previous years, AAA reports.

Crashes killed 457 people in 2017, up 6.5 percent from 429 in 2016 and 28.7 percent from 355 in 2015.

March, July and September were the deadliest months for 2017, with 44 fatal crashes in March, 56 in July and 46 in September.

November, which typically has a higher number of deer crashes, did not have as many fatal crashes last year as previous years. There were 34 fatal crashes in November in 2017, compared to 52 in 2016 and 37 in 2015.

“Nobody wants to see these higher fatality statistics,” AAA Kansas spokesman Shawn Steward said in a release. “They are more than just numbers, they are real people who lost their lives and left many grieving families.”

AAA suggests drivers slow down, put their phones down, limit distractions, buckle their seat belts and don’t drive impaired.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 9:15 AM with the headline "More people killed in Kansas crashes last year."