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Oneida County panel flags sharp rise in crashes as distracted driving spikes; federal HSIP funding highlighted
Summary
The Oneida County Highway Traffic Safety Commission reviewed statewide and local crash figures showing increases in crashes and distracted driving, discussed the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) reimbursement opportunity, and noted training and conference dates for coordinators.
Chairman Kirby convened the Oneida County Highway Traffic Safety Commission on May 19 and members reviewed recent crash statistics that commissioners described as concerning. Committee member Baier reported statewide totals of 126 crashes and 133 fatalities to date and said May 1–17 alone had 17 crashes and 18 fatalities. For Oneida County, Baier reported 146 crashes and one fatality between Feb. 17 and May 18; he said first-quarter 2026 figures show drivers involved in crashes rose about 41% and distracted-driving incidents increased roughly 77%, while impaired-driver–related crashes dropped about 44%.
The commission discussed funding options to address dangerous locations. Staff briefed members on the Highway Safety Improvement Program, a federal reimbursement program the commission described as capable of covering up to 90% of many safety projects for counties, towns, cities and villages. Officials provided contact information for North Central Coordinator Cole Dineen for jurisdictions seeking guidance on eligible projects and reimbursement procedures.
Members also flagged outreach work: the committee has ordered about 300 safety shirts from Metro Screenprinting to distribute at the county's three high schools once school is out. Staff highlighted resources on Community Maps, added training videos and recurring virtual office hours for those requesting detailed crash data; crash-data requests were directed to CrashDataAnalysis@dot.wi.gov.
The commission noted the Governor’s Conference scheduled for Aug. 24–26, 2026, at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells and a Traffic Safety Coordinators meeting and dinner on Aug. 25. Committee members said those events will address hot topics including e-bikes, ATV/UTVs and impaired driving. The commission set future meeting dates for Aug. 18 and Nov. 17, 2026.
