Summary
Staff presented the APC’s 2023 crash report covering five years of data: total crashes rose to near pre‑pandemic levels, the report lists 20 fatal crashes with 21 people killed, and analysis identified a higher-than-expected crash rate for drivers aged about 70–75 and concentrations where traffic volumes are highest.
APC staff presented the 2023 crash report, a multi‑year analysis of all reported crashes in Tippecanoe County, and summarized trends and special analyses.
Aria, the crash report presenter, said the report covers five years leading up to 2023 and that 2023 recorded approximately 4,100 property‑damage‑only crashes, 966 injury crashes, 20 fatal crashes and 21 persons killed. She said aggregate crash counts have returned to near pre‑pandemic levels, consistent with higher traffic volumes and patterns.
The report includes heat maps showing higher crash concentrations in higher‑volume, urban intersections. Aria said she examined age distributions and flagged a modestly higher crash rate among drivers aged about 70–75, noting that driver license requirements typically change at age 75. She also reviewed vulnerable road user data: the packet lists 54 pedestrian‑involved crashes for 2023 and a table showing pedestrians injured and killed; Aria walked the board through appendix summaries of each fatal crash and said the 20 fatal crashes represented a small sample that made identifying strong commonalities difficult.
Board members asked whether liquor stores versus bars had different crash correlations; Aria said she had not analyzed bars yet and may review that this year. On pedestrian involvement and contributing factors, Aria said officers’ primary factor listings may not capture all crashes that involved pedestrians.
Why it matters: The county’s fatal and serious‑injury collision counts shape local safety priorities and project scoring for safety funding. Staff highlighted the importance of localized crash maps and age‑based analysis for targeting countermeasures.
What’s next: Staff suggested additional topic analyses (for example, bars) in future reports and noted that the appendix includes narrative summaries for each fatal crash for board review.
