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Dunn County crash data show two fatalities so far this year; officials urge accurate crash reporting and expand enforcement
Summary
State and county safety liaisons and law enforcement reviewed regional and county crash statistics, described two recent local fatalities, discussed trends in speeds, impaired driving and work-zone crashes, and promoted reporting accuracy and teen driver-safety programs.
Dunn County law enforcement and Department of Transportation safety liaisons said the county has recorded 364 crashes year‑to‑date, including two fatalities and 105 injuries, and urged improved crash reporting and continued enforcement to address high‑risk driving.
At the June 20 Traffic Safety Commission meeting, the DOT law enforcement liaison presented statewide and local statistics and emphasized the importance of marking crash reports accurately — especially for locating crashes that occur in or near work zones. The liaison said engineers review crash-report details weekly to decide whether changes to advanced warning, transition or activity areas in work zones are needed. He noted a roughly 20% increase in crashes in work‑zone areas compared with equivalent areas without a work zone.
Dunn County-specific figures presented at the meeting showed 364 total crashes year to date, two fatalities and 105 injuries; the county law-enforcement representative identified the two fatalities as a motorcycle crash in late April and another fatal crash on County Highway Y in March. The sheriff’s office gave more granular local data: since the last meeting the sheriff’s office handled 62 crashes (21 multi-vehicle and 41 single-vehicle), with 23 crashes involving injuries and 31 persons injured. Six alcohol- or drug-related crashes were noted; three of those resulted in six injuries.
Officials described enforcement activity tied to an OWI grant: the sheriff’s office and partner agencies plan to increase overtime enforcement shifts from 3–4 per month to about five shifts per month during peak times, operating under grant restrictions that generally limit hours to 6 p.m.–4 a.m. County and municipal departments said recruiting officers to work overtime remains a challenge.
The DOT liaison and law-enforcement speakers promoted the Safe Roads Challenge and a teen-driving program run by Children’s Wisconsin; they encouraged public outreach and use of a free driving-safety app that runs in the background and offers rewards. The liaison stressed that proper coding of crashes as “failure to stop” versus “failure to yield” can lead engineers toward low-cost fixes such as stop-ahead signs and rumble strips for stop problems, or larger redesigns — including roundabouts — if the crash pattern indicates failure to yield.
Why it matters: local crash numbers, recent fatalities and ongoing enforcement influence public safety and infrastructure decisions. Officials asked local law enforcement to prioritize accurate crash narratives on reports so engineers and safety planners can target effective, evidence-based fixes.
No formal votes occurred on these items; the session was informational and focused on reporting, enforcement planning and outreach.
