1
ANATOMY OF CHIPPEWA COUNTY: A TRAFFIC SAFETY SUMMARY
There were 26 fatal crashes in Chippewa County from 2012 to 2016.
2
THE PLACE
Section Summary Chippewa County contains two principal routes: USH 53 and STH 29. The county is in the top ten
counties for total miles of roads and miles of county highways.
Urbanization
Chippewa County is a part of the Eau Claire metropolitan area, and it is adjacent to the Menomonie
urban cluster. 53.86% of its population lives in urban areas, and 3.45% of the county’s area is urban.1
The Chippewa River cuts through the center of the county roughly north to south.
Road Network
U.S. Highway (USH) 53 is a freeway in the western portion of the county that carries traffic between Eau
Claire to the south and Rice Lake and Superior to the north, crossing through Lake Hallie, Chippewa Falls,
Bloomer, and New Auburn. USH 12 cuts through the far southwestern corner of the county.
State Trunk Highway (STH) 29 is a multilane divided highway that runs west to east through the
southern portion of the county, carrying traffic between Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota to the west
and Wausau and Green Bay to the east. In the county, STH 29 crosses through Lake Hallie, Chippewa
Falls, Cadott, Boyd, and Stanley.
STH 40 travels through the northwestern portions of Chippewa County through Bloomer. To the north,
STH 40 heads to Bruce and Radisson, and to the south, it travels to Colfax and USH 12/STH 29 near Elk
Mound. STH 27 runs south to north, crossing through Cadott and Cornell carrying traffic between Black
River Falls and Ladysmith. STH 64 goes through Bloomer and Cornell, and it travels west toward New
Richmond and east toward Medford. STH 124 begins at USH 53 in Lake Hallie and runs north through
Chippewa Falls to end at STH 64 east of Bloomer. STH 178 begins at STH 29 in Lake Hallie and heads
north through Chippewa Falls and along the Chippewa River to Cornell.
Miles of Roadway
There are 2,144 miles of roadway in the county, including 210 (9.8%) miles of state roads, 489 (22.8%)
miles of county roads, 1,427 (66.6%) miles of local roads, and 18 miles of another type.2
Vehicle Registrations and Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT)
In 2016, there were 22,968 autos, 4,450 cycles, 7,826 trailers, and 37,770 trucks registered in Chippewa
County.3 VMT in 2016 was 924,193,140.4
1 United States Census Bureau. “Percent urban and rural in 2010 by state and county.” Accessed Sept. 29, 2017. https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/ua/urban-rural-2010.html 2 Wisconsin Department of Transportation. “County Maps.” Accessed Sept. 29, 2017. http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/default.aspx 3 Wisconsin Department of Transportation. “Facts and Figures 2016, Vehicles Registered by County.” Accessed Nov. 6, 2017. http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/about-wisdot/newsroom/statistics/factsfig/vehregcounty.pdf 4 Wisconsin Department of Transportation. “2016 Vehicles Miles of Travel (VMT) by County.” Accessed Nov. 6, 2017. http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/data-plan/veh-miles/vmt2016-c.pdf
3
Traffic Volume
As can be seen in Figure 1, traffic volumes in Chippewa County are highest in the southwestern portion
of the county, closest to the City of Chippewa Falls. Peak traffic segments are found on Highway 53
northwest of Chippewa Falls and on Highway 29, which runs along the southern portion of that city.
Nonetheless, traffic volumes are modest in this county, peaking at about 35,000 daily VMT.
FIGURE 1:
Commuting Flows
4
As seen below in Figure 2, the majority of workers who reside in Chippewa County also work in Chippewa County, and vice versa.
FIGURE 2: COMMUTING FLOWS AMONG COUNTIES
Workers who Reside in Chippewa County Work in: People who Work in Chippewa County Reside in:
Chippewa County 18,193 Chippewa County 18,193
Eau Claire County 8,510 Eau Claire County 5,161
Dunn County 838 Dunn County 767
Clark County 472 Clark County 428
Barron County 373 Barron County 401
Rusk County 248 Rusk County 303
Hennepin County, MN 115 Taylor County 149
Taylor County 102 Trempealeau County 138
St. Croix County 87 Washburn County 63
Ramsey County, MN 74 Buffalo County 49
Pierce County 60 Pepin County 36
Ashland County 56
La Crosse County 41
Sawyer County 37
Lincoln County 36
Trempealeau County 35
Others 515 Others 383 5
As seen below in Figure 3, the most common commuting flow between two different municipalities is between residences in Lake Hallie and workplaces in Eau Claire.
FIGURE 3: COMMUTING FLOWS BETWEEN MUNICIPALITIES (TOP 15)
Residence Place of Work Number
Lake Hallie Eau Claire 1,579
Chippewa Falls Eau Claire 1,530
Eau Claire Chippewa Falls 1,421
Lafayette (Town) Chippewa Falls 1,056
Lake Hallie Chippewa Falls 995
Lafayette (Town) Eau Claire 905
Eagle Point (Town) Chippewa Falls 677
Wheaton (Town) Eau Claire 579
Eau Claire Lake Hallie 540
Anson (Town) Chippewa Falls 469
Eagle Point (Town) Eau Claire 389
Bloomer Eau Claire 373
Wheaton (Town) Chippewa Falls 253
Bloomer Chippewa Falls 252
Anson (Town) Eau Claire 250 6
5United States Census Bureau. 2009-2013 5-Year American Community Survey Commuting Flows. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-
series/demo/commuting/commuting-flows.html Accessed Sept. 29, 2017. 6 United States Census Bureau. 2009-2013 5-Year American Community Survey Commuting Flows. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/commuting/commuting-flows.html Accessed Oct. 5, 2017.
5
THE POPULATION
The population of Chippewa County—about 63,000 individuals—is dispersed through 32 different
jurisdictions. The largest jurisdictions are the city of Chippewa Falls, the village of Lake Hallie, and the
town of Lafayette (populations of 14,084, 6,650, and 5,916 respectively). Most of the remaining
population is found in many smaller jurisdictions. Generally, the population is clustered in the
southwestern portion of the county, surrounding the city of Chippewa Falls and proximate to the larger
community of Eau Claire.
FIGURE 4: POPULATION OF CHIPPEWA COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES (2016)
7
Population Trends
Between 2010 and 2016, the county’s population increased modestly (by about 3.2%). This increase is
particularly notable when considering that many northern counties in the state are losing population.
Overall, the population of Chippewa County mirrors that of the state (the median age of the county is
39.4 while the comparable figure for the state is 39).
7 United States Census Bureau. “Selected Economic Characteristics DP03, Employment Status.” 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_DP03&src=pt Accessed November 4th, 2017.
City of Bloomer, 3,509
City of Chippewa Falls, 14,084
City of Cornell, 1,426
City of Eau Claire, 1,992
City of Stanley, 3,654
Town of Anson, 2,126
Town of Arthur, 770
Town of Auburn, 709
Town of Birch Creek, 528
Town of Bloomer,
1,065
Town of Cleveland,
881
Town of Colburn, 873 Town of Cooks
Valley, 819
Town of Delmar, 954
Town of …
Town of Edson, 1,111
Town of Estella, 444
Town of Goetz,
774 Town of Hallie, 159
Town of Howard, 804
Town of Lafayette, 5,916
Town of Lake Holcombe, 1,058
Town of Ruby, 500
Town of Sampson, 911
Town of Sigel, 1,062
Town of Tilden, 1,504
Town of Wheaton, 2,781
Town of Woodmohr, 955
Village of Boyd, 537
Village of Cadott, 1,424
Village of Lake Hallie, 6,650
Village of New Auburn, 538
6
FIGURE 5 8: POPULATION PYRAMIDS (CHIPPEWA COUNTY ABOVE AND STATE BELOW)
Most jurisdictions in the county are gaining population, albeit at a relatively slow rate (1-4% growth
rates between 2010 and 2016). However, the communities in the southwestern portion of the county
are gaining the greatest number of individuals because of their larger size (again, they are benefitting
from proximity to the larger city of Eau Claire). (In the images, the measure of absolute population
change merely shows the raw population changes between 2010 and 2016, while the measure of
relative population change weights such absolute changes by the base population figures of 2010).9
8 United States Census Bureau. “Selected Economic Characteristics DP03, Employment Status.” 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_DP03&src=pt Accessed November 6th, 2017. 9 The highlighted jurisdiction in the image shows the two jurisdictions that are growing fastest and the two jurisdictions growing the slowest.
7
FIGURE 6:
8
THE ECONOMY
Section Summary
The unemployment rate in Chippewa County has been, on average, the same as that of the state over
the last decade. In general, the county has a high proportion of people that have jobs in production,
transportation, or material moving, and a small proportion of persons that work in management,
business, science, or the arts.
FIGURE 7: EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION (CHIPPEWA COUNTY ON TOP AND THE STATE BELOW) 10
10 United States Census Bureau. “Selected Economic Characteristics DP03, Employment Status.” 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_DP03&src=pt Accessed September 29, 2017.
29.5%
16.7%
21.8%
10.6%
21.4%Management, business, science, andarts
Service
Sales and office
Natural resources, construction, andmaintenance
Production, transportation, andmaterial moving
34.5%
17.0%
23.1%
8.5%
16.9% Management, business, science, andarts occupations
Service occupations
Sales and office occupations
Natural resources, construction, andmaintenance occupations
Production, transportation, andmaterial moving occupations
9
FIGURE 8: EMPLOYED POPULATION BY INDUSTRY (CHIPPEWA COUNTY ON TOP AND STATE BELOW)
11
11 United States Census Bureau. “Selected Economic Characteristics DP03, Employment Status.” 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_DP03&src=pt Accessed September 29, 2017.
4.4%
6.2%
20.6%
1.9%
13.1%
5.0%
1.2%
5.3%
6.0%
22.6%
5.9%
4.4%
3.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities
Information
Finance and insurance, and real estate
Professional, scientific, and management
Educational services, and health care and social assistance
Arts/recreation, accommodation, and food services
Other services, except public administration
Public administration
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
2.5%
5.3%
18.5%
2.7%
11.3%
4.3%
1.7%
6.1%
8.1%
23.3%
8.7%
4.2%
3.5%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities
Information
Finance and insurance, and real estate
Professional, scientific, and management
Educational services, and health care and social assistance
Arts/recreation, accommodation, and food services
Other services, except public administration
Public administration
10
FIGURE 9: UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, CHIPPEWA COUNTY AND WISCONSIN, 2007-2016
12
12 United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics. “Labor Force Data by County,” annual averages. https://www.bls.gov/lau/#tables Accessed Sept. 29, 2017.
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Chippewa County 5.4% 5.3% 8.4% 8.4% 7.8% 6.8% 6.7% 5.4% 4.8% 4.4%
Wisconsin 4.9% 4.9% 8.6% 8.7% 7.8% 7.0% 6.7% 5.4% 4.6% 4.1%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%
7.0%
8.0%
9.0%
10.0%
11
ALCOHOL RISK FACTORS
Section Summary
Sixty-seven percent of licensees have liquor for sale for consumption on site. Twenty-one percent are
licenses are in Chippewa Falls, 9% are in Bloomer, 8% are in Lake Hallie, and 44% are in towns.
FIGURE 10: ALCOHOL BEVERAGE LICENSES BY JURISDICTION, CHIPPEWA COUNTY
13
Establishments within a municipality but outside the county are not included in the table.
14
13 Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Oct. 4, 2017. “WI Liquor Licenses 2017-18.” 14 Wisconsin Department of Revenue. “Liquor License Report, Liquor License Codes.” https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/OnlineServices/liqlicrpt.aspx. Accessed Oct. 25, 2017.
Blo
om
er
Bo
yd
Cad
ott
Ch
ipp
ewa
Falls
Co
rnel
l
Eau
Cla
ire
Lake
Hal
lie
New
Au
bu
rn
Stan
ley
Tow
ns
Tota
l (B
y Li
q. L
icen
se)
AB or AC 2 5 2 1 1 1 3 15
AL or ALB 4 1 3 6 2 8 1 5 12 42
BB or CW 2 1 7 2 1 4 17
BL or BLB 12 7 4 30 4 1 8 2 5 80 153
Others 2 2
Total (By
Municipality) 20 8 8 48 10 2 18 3 11 101 229
CODE DESCRIPTION
AB Beer for sale off site (convenience stores, grocery stores)
AC Cider for sale off site (convenience stores, grocery stores)
AL Liquor for sale off site (drug stores, wineries)
ALB Beer, wine, or liquor for sale off site
BB Beer for sale on site or off site
BL Liquor for sale on site (winery)
BLB Beer or liquor for sale on site (taverns, supper clubs)
CW Wine for sale on site (restaurants) (usually in conjunction with BB)
12
FIGURE 10.2: ALCOHOL LICENSES IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY BY JURISDICTION
FIGURE 11: ALCOHOL BEVERAGE LICENSES BY TYPE, 2017-2018 (CHIPPEWA COUNTY ON THE LEFT,
STATE ON THE RIGHT)
Bloomer8.7%
Boyd3.5%
Cadott3.5%
Chippewa Falls21.0%
Cornell4.4%
Eau Claire0.9%
Lake Hallie7.9%
New Auburn1.3%
Stanley4.8%
Towns44.1%
AB or AC7%
AL or ALB18%
BB or CW7%
BL or BLB67%
Others1% AB or AC
7%
AL or ALB18%
BB or CW11%BL or BLB
63%
Others1%
13
HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE
Injury-to-Death Ratios
Injury-to-Death ratios are computed by dividing the total number of crash injuries by the crash fatalities.
Higher rates are positive in that fatalities comprise a smaller percentage of crash victims. In general,
higher rates are found in the state’s urbanized southeastern and south-central regions and the Fox
Valley, where crashes are more likely to occur in more developed areas (and thus at slower speeds). In
rural areas, the converse is true (highways and county roads predominate, with crashes occurring at
higher average speeds). Generally, rural areas also suffer from a relative lack of proximate hospitals and
emergency response services, which means that some crashes which would be survivable in urban areas
correspond to fatalities in more rural areas.
Between 2012 and 2017, as can be seen in Figure 12, Chippewa County reported a significantly lower
injury-to-death ratio than the state generally (44.1 vs. 73.1).
Emergency Services
As can be seen in Figure 13, Chippewa County contains three different classified hospitals within county
borders (a level III trauma center in the southwestern portion of the county, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital)
and two different level IV trauma centers, one in northwest and on in the east. A level II trauma center
(May Clinic’s Health System-Eau Claire) is located immediately to the south of the county border, while a
level I trauma center can be accessed about 80 miles to the west, in Saint Paul. 15 The closest level I
trauma center in Wisconsin is located about 100 miles to the south in Milwaukee. A relatively high
concentration of crashes occurs in the county’s northeastern portion, an area farther away from existing
hospitals.
Chippewa County maintains 14 different emergency providers (Figure 14). These companies employ 286
emergency personnel. Consequently, the county is the site of 4.5 emergency response personnel per
1,000 residents. This is slightly higher than the state figure of 4.02 emergency response personnel per
1,000 residents.
15 The trauma capacities of hospitals are rated on a I-IV scale, with some remaining unrated; Level I hospitals have the greatest capacity.
14
FIGURE 12:
15
FIGURE 13:
16
FIGURE 14: NUMBER OF EMT PERSONNEL/JURISDICTION 16
Service License Level Service Name
Number of Personnel
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Bloomer Area First Responders 25
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) New Auburn Area Fire Dept First Responders 15
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Anson (Town Of) First Responders 14
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Tilden (Township Of) Fire Department First Responders 12
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Cadott Fire Dept First Responders 12
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Eagle Point FD First Responders 10
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Stanley Fire Department 7
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Bloomer Community Ambulance Service 41
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Cadott Community Ambulance 27
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Boyd Edson Delmar Fire Dept Ambulance 23
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Cornell Area Ambulance Service 19
Paramedic with Critical Care Endorsement
Chippewa Fire District 44
Paramedic with Critical Care Endorsement
Chippewa Falls Fire & Emergency Services 29
TEMS Team Chippewa Fire District TEMS 8
FIGURE 14.2: NUMBER AND LEVEL OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS PER JURISDICTION
16 Department of Health Services, 2017, Received through Happel, C.
17
THE CRASHES
The state of Wisconsin, in a months-long process, solicited input from a diverse variety of stakeholders to create the most recent version of our Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), a document that guides investment and safety decisions for three years. The plan has ten different issue areas. General crash-related statistics for Chippewa County are listed below, and then facts and figures are organized to correspond with these ten issue areas.
GENERAL CRASH-RELATED STATISTICS
FIGURE 15: NUMBER OF CRASHES BY MOST SEVERE INJURY IN THE CRASH AND PERSONS INVOLVED IN
CRASHES BY INJURY SEVERITY
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2012-2016 Average
Cra
shes
Per
son
s
Cra
shes
Per
son
s
Cra
shes
Per
son
s
Cra
shes
Per
son
s
Cra
shes
Per
son
s
Cra
shes
Per
son
s
Fatality 4 5 11 11 2 2 8 9 1 1 5.2 5.6
Incapacitating Injury
30 43 25 32 27 31 36 46 23 33 28.2 37.0
Non-Incapacitating Injury
108 136 85 115 89 109 87 109 90 106 91.8 115.0
Possible Injury
102 151 98 137 109 143 89 138 131 176 105.8 149.0
No Apparent Injury
869 1,621 1,071 1,985 1,106 2,102 944 1,792 1,063 2,052 1,010.6 1,910.4
Totals 1,113 1,956 1,290 2,280 1,333 2,387 1,164 2,094 1,308 2,368 1,241.6 2,217.0
18
FIGURE 16: FATALITIES AND INCAPACITATING INJURIES BY ROLE, CHIPPEWA COUNTY, 2012-2016
FIGURE 17: FATALITIES AND INCAPACITATING INJURIES BY ROLE, WISCONSIN, 2012-2016
Vehicle drivers make up the highest percentage of fatalities and incapacitating injuries within Chippewa County and the state of Wisconsin.
BICYCLIST2%
DRIVER52%
MOTORCYCLIST14%
MOPED USER1%
VEHICLE PASSENGER
28%
PEDESTRIAN3%
BICYCLIST3%
DRIVER53%
MOTORCYCLIST16%
MOPED USER1%
VEHICLE PASSENGER
20%
PEDESTRIAN7%
19
FIGURE 18: FATAL AND INCAPACITATING INJURIES BY AGE IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY, 2012-2016
FIGURE 19: FATAL AND INCAPACITATING INJURIES BY AGE IN WISCONSIN, 2012-2016
For both Chippewa County and the state of Wisconsin, the highest number of incapacitating injuries and fatalities occurred in the age group 15-24.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
4 &under
5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 &over
KILLED INCAPACITATING INJURY
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4 &under
5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 &over
KILLED INCAPACITATING INJURY
20
FIGURE 20: TOTAL FATALITIES AND INCAPACITATING INJURIES BY PLACE OF RESIDENCE (CHIPPEWA COUNTY ON LEFT AND STATE OF WISCONSIN ON RIGHT), 2012-2016
*Local is defined as persons with addresses that have ZIP codes fully or partially within the county.
24% of the fatalities and injuries in Chippewa County occurred to non-local individuals.
FIGURE 21: FATALITIES AND INCAPACITATING INJURIES BY STATE OF RESIDENCE (CHIPPEWA COUNTY
ON LEFT AND STATE OF WISCONSIN ON RIGHT), 2012-2016
93% of fatality and injury crashes in Chippewa County occurred to Wisconsin residents.
FIGURE 22: LOCATION OF CRASHES BY ROAD TYPE IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY, 2012-2016
Total Fatal Crashes Total Non-Fatal Injury Crashes
Interstate Highways N/A N/A
US/State Highways 65.4% 42.2%
County Highways 26.9% 19.0%
Local Roads 7.7% 38.8%
The highest percentage of fatal crashes occurred on US/state highways within Chippewa County.
Local*75.12%
Non-Local24.88%
Local*91.77%
Non-Local8.03%
Unknown0.20%
Other, 3%
WI, 93%
MN, 2%
IL, 2%
Other, 2%WI, 92%
IL, 3%
MN, 2%
MI, 1%
21
FIGURE 23: REPORTING OF FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES BY AGENCY, 2012-2016
LEA TOTAL
BLOOMER POLICE DEPARTMENT 2
BOYD POLICE DEPARTMENT 1
CHIPPEWA COUNTY SHERIFF 117
CHIPPEWA FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT 15
EAU CLAIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT 4
LAKE HALLIE VILLAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT 20
WISCONSIN STATE PATROL 8
TOTAL 167
Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office had the highest reporting of fatal and serious injury crashes within Chippewa County.
ISSUE AREA: IMPROVE SAFETY CULTURE, SAFETY DATA, AND DATA TECHNOLOGY
Because this information is difficult to quantify and visualize, we recommend that readers view the most recent edition of the Wisconsin Strategic Highway Safety Plan at the following location: http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/safety/education/frms-pubs/strategichwy-17-20.pdf
ISSUE AREA: REDUCE DRIVER DISTRACTION/IMPROVE DRIVER ALERTNESS
FIGURE 24: INATTENTION-RELATED FATAL AND INJURY-CAUSING CRASHES BY LOCATION, 2012-2016
Inattention-Related Fatal Crashes Inattention-Related Non-Fatal Injury Crashes
Interstate Highways N/A N/A
US/State Highways 71.4% 42.3%
County Highways 14.3% 19.3%
Local Roads 14.3% 38.3%
The most common location for inattention-related fatal and serious injury crashes in Chippewa County was on US/state highways.
ISSUE AREA: REDUCE ALCOHOL & DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING
FIGURE 25: ALCOHOL OR DRUG-RELATED CRASHES BY LOCATION, 2012-2016
Alcohol or Drug-Related Fatal Crashes Alcohol or Drug-Related Non-Fatal Injury Crashes
Interstate Highways N/A N/A
US/State Highways 62.5% 29.8%
County Highways 25.0% 32.3%
Local Roads 12.5% 37.9%
The most common location for alcohol/drug-related fatal crashes in Chippewa County was on US/state highways.
22
FIGURE 26: IMPAIRED DRIVING STATISTICS IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY, 2012-2016
Average Total Fatal Crashes
Average Non-Fatal Injury Crashes
Average Alcohol or Drug-Related Fatal Crashes
Average Alcohol or Drug-Related Non-Fatal Injury Crashes
5.2 225.8 3.2 24.8
Chippewa County % of alcohol or drug-related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes
61.5%
Wisconsin % of alcohol or drug-related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes
45.0%
Chippewa County had a higher percentage of alcohol or drug-related fatal crashes than the state of Wisconsin.
ISSUE AREA: REDUCE THE INCIDENCE AND SEVERITY OF MOTORCYCLE CRASHES
FIGURE 27: CHIPPEWA COUNTY MOTORCYCLISTS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED, 2012-2016
% Killed
% Seriously Injured
5-Yr Ave Killed
5-Yr Ave Seriously Injured
County 7.1% 14.6% 0.4 5.4
State 15.3% 16.5% 84.8 525.6
Chippewa County had lower percentages of motorcyclists killed and seriously injured when compared to the state.
ISSUE AREA: IMPROVE NON-MOTORIST SAFETY
FIGURE 28: CHIPPEWA COUNTY PEDESTRIANS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED, 2012-2016
% Killed
% Seriously Injured
5-Yr Ave Killed
5-Yr Ave Seriously Injured
County 3.6% 3.2% 0.2 1.2
State 8.1% 6.6% 44.8 211.2
Chippewa County had lower percentages of crashes where pedestrians were killed and seriously injured, compared to the state.
23
FIGURE 29: PEDESTRIANS INVOLVED IN CRASHES BY ACTION AND LOCATION, 2012-2016
PEDESTRIAN ACTION
PEDESTRIAN LOCATION TOTAL
BLANK IN CROSSWALK
IN ROADWAY
NOT IN ROADWAY
BLANK 5 4 3 1 13
WALKING NOT FACING TRAFFIC
0 2 9 0 11
DISREGARDED SIGNAL
0 0 1 0 1
DARTING INTO ROAD
2 1 5 0 8
DARK CLOTHING 0 1 2 0 3
WALKING FACING TRAFFIC
0 1 4 0 5
TOTAL 7 9 24 1 41
The most common pedestrian action contributing to crashes was walking not facing traffic, in the roadway. FIGURE 30: CHIPPEWA COUNTY BICYCLISTS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED, 2012-2016
% Killed
% Seriously Injured
5-Yr Ave Killed
5-Yr Ave Seriously Injured
County 3.6% 1.6% 0.2 0.6
State 1.8% 2.9% 10.2 92.4
Chippewa County had a lower percentage of bicyclists seriously injured when compared to the state, but a higher percentage of bicyclist fatalities.
ISSUE AREA: IMPROVE SAFETY OF INTERSECTIONS
FIGURE 31: CHIPPEWA COUNTY TOTAL CRASHES BY LOCATION, 2012-2016
County State
% Intersection 27.7% 37.8%
% Non-Intersection 72.3% 62.8%
There were fewer crashes at intersections in Chippewa County, compared to the state of Wisconsin.
24
ISSUE AREA: INCREASE OCCUPANT PROTECTION
FIGURE 32: SEATBELT USE STATEWIDE, 2012-2017
Seatbelt usage statewide has increased over the past six years.
FIGURE 32.2: SAFETY EQUIPMENT USAGE IN PASSENGER CAR AND LIGHT TRUCKS DURING CRASHES, 2012-2016
Belted Unbelted
Fatalities and Serious Injuries 59.9% 40.1%
40% of the people killed or seriously injured in crashes in Chippewa County were not wearing a seatbelt.
79.9
82.4
84.785.8
88.489.4
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
25
ISSUE AREA: CURB AGGRESSIVE DRIVING/REDUCE SPEED-RELATED CRASHES
FIGURE 33: DRIVER POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING CIRCUMSTANCES FOR CRASHES IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY
(TOP) AND STATEWIDE (BOTTOM), 2012-2016
Failure to control was the most significant contributing factor for all crashes within Chippewa County.
20.23%
5.98%
11.96%
18.51%
21.56%
21.76%
OTHER CATAGORIES
DRIVER CONDITION
FAIL YIELD R-O-WAY
SPEED TOO FAST/COND
INATTENTIVE DRIVING
FAILURE TO CONTROL
19.88%
5.00%
9.55%
11.49%
16.23%
16.88%
20.97%
OTHER CATAGORIES
DRIVER CONDITION
FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE
SPEED TOO FAST/COND
FAIL YIELD R-O-WAY
FAILURE TO CONTROL
INATTENTIVE DRIVING
26
FIGURE 34: SPEEDING STATISTICS IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY, 2012-2016
Average Speed-Related Fatal Crashes Average Speed-Related Non-Fatal Injury Crashes
1.2 59.0
Chippewa County % of speed-related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes 23.1%
Wisconsin % of speed-related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes 28.9%
Speed-Related Fatal Crashes Speed-Related Non-Fatal Injury Crashes
Interstate Highways N/A N/A
US/State Highways 50.0% 40.3%
County Highways 33.3% 22.0%
Local Roads 16.7% 37.6%
Chippewa County had a lower percentage of speed-related fatal crashes than the state. The most
common location for speed-related fatal crashes in Chippewa County was on US/state highways.
ISSUE AREA: REDUCE LANE DEPARTURE CRASHES
FIGURE 35: CHIPPEWA COUNTY RUN-OFF-THE-ROAD CRASHES, 2012-2016
5 Year Average of Run-Off-the-Road Crashes % of Run-Off-the-Road crashes to Total Crashes
County 400.6 32.3%
State 30,395.6 25.4%
Chippewa County had a greater percentage of run-off-the-road crashes when compared to the state.
27
THE IMPACT
The number of persons involved in crashes and crash-related emergency room visits are low,
comparatively.
2011-2015 Annual Averages
17,18
17University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Health Systems Research & Analysis. Wisconsin Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System Project. “Wisconsin CODES Report Builder Custom Reporting System,” http://www.chsra.wisc.edu/codes/query/overview.html Accessed Oct. 2, 2017. 18University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Health Systems Research & Analysis. Wisconsin Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System Project. “Community Crash Reports,” http://www.chsra.wisc.edu/codes/community/default.htm Accessed Oct. 3, 2017.
Chippewa County Wisconsin
Average Annual Population 63,141 5,716,883
Persons in Crashes
(per 1,000 residents)
35.4 46.0
Crash-Related Emergency Room Visits
(per 100,000 residents)
274.4 407.3
Crash-Related Hospitalizations
(per 100,000 residents)
48.5 49.3
Quality of Life Costs
(per 100,000 residents)
$39,883,492 $36,819,900
Lost Years of Life
(per 1,000 residents)
4.07 3.04
Medical Costs
(per 100,000 residents)
$9,322,799 $10,482,526
28
THE GRANTS
The Bureau of Transportation Safety targets counties throughout the state based on crash frequency
and severity, considering their size, location, and contributing behavioral factors as indicated on crash
forms received from local law enforcement agencies. Overtime enforcement grants are offered to the
law enforcement agencies of a county to form a high-visibility enforcement task force that will
coordinate efforts with each other and locals to change the driving behavior in their county. If a county
makes the targeting list for an enforcement grant to address a behavioral highway safety issue, all law
enforcement agencies within the county are eligible to participate on a task force to address the
problem. National priority issue areas include impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, and distracted
driving.
2016 Grant Participation
Impaired Driving Occupant Protection Speed
Chippewa Co. Sheriff’s Office $14,851.20 $7,425.60 $12,425.60
Bloomer Police Dept. $8,477.44
Boyd Police Dept.
Cadott Police Dept. $3,936
Chippewa Falls Police Dept. $4,955.52 $4,955.52
Cornell Police Dept.
Eau Claire Police Dept.
Lake Hallie Police Dept. $5,003.52 $10,197.97
New Auburn Police Dept.
Stanley Police Dept. $9,923.67
The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office and the Chippewa Falls Police Department participated on the
Chippewa County OWI Task Force.
2017 Task Forces
Grant Amount
Chippewa County Summer Speed Task Force $25,000
2017 Task Force Participation
Impaired
Driving
Occupant
Protection
Speed
Chippewa Co. Sheriff’s Office Chippewa County Summer Speed Task Force
Bloomer Police Dept.
Boyd Police Dept.
Cadott Police Dept. Chippewa County Summer Speed Task Force
Chippewa Falls Police Dept. Chippewa County Summer Speed Task Force
Cornell Police Dept.
Eau Claire Police Dept.
Lake Hallie Police Dept.
New Auburn Police Dept.
Stanley Police Dept.
29
2018 Task Force Eligibility
Impaired Driving Occupant Protection Speed
Chippewa County Law Enforcement Agencies not eligible not eligible eligible
Agency Mobilizations 2016-2017
FY2016
Drive
Sober or
Get
Pulled
Over-
Winter
Holidays
2016 Click
It or
Ticket
2016
Drive
Sober or
Get
Pulled
Over –
Labor Day
FY2017
Drive
Sober or
Get
Pulled
Over-
Winter
Holidays
2017 Click
It or
Ticket
2017
Drive
Sober or
Get
Pulled
Over –
Labor Day
Chippewa Co. Sheriff’s Office yes yes yes yes yes
Bloomer Police Dept. yes yes
Boyd Police Dept.
Cadott Police Dept. yes yes yes yes
Chippewa Falls Police Dept. yes yes yes
Cornell Police Dept. yes yes yes yes
Eau Claire Police Dept.
Lake Hallie Police Dept. yes yes yes yes
New Auburn Police Dept.
Stanley Police Dept. yes yes yes yes yes
The Wisconsin State Patrol participates in all three mobilizations each year. Law enforcement agencies
should participate for the chance to receive an equipment grant for ongoing high-visibility enforcement.