1

Anatomy of Traffic Safety – Price County

Bureau of Transportation Safety

Revised: 12/19/16

2

Characteristics of the County and the Road Network

Price County is significantly forested, with the Chequamegon National Forest covering much of the

northeast portion of the county. A portion of the Flambeau River State Forest is in the northwest part of

the county, and county forests are distributed throughout the county. The highest point in Wisconsin,

Timms Hill, is located in the southeast part of Price County.

United States Highway (USH) 8 traverses the county from west to east, carrying traffic between the

villages of Catawba, Kennan, and Prentice. USH 8 connects Price County with Rhinelander to the east

and Ladysmith to the west. State Trunk Highway (STH) 13 is principal through route that traverses the

county from north to south, passing through Park Falls, Phillips, and Prentice, connecting the county

with Ashland to the north and Medford and Marshfield to the south. Other highways in the state

network include STH 70, STH 86, STH 102, STH 111, and STH 182.

There are 1,440 miles of roads in the county, of which 155 (10.8%) are state roads, 220 (15.3%) are

county roads, 1,050 (72.9%) are local roads, and 15 miles are of another type.

In 2015, there were 5,304 autos, 1,227 cycles, 1,999 trailers, and 10,447 trucks registered in Price

County. Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2015 was 234,340,220.

Municipalities

Park Falls and Phillips are the only incorporated municipalities in Price County having a 2015 estimated

population greater than 1,000 people, with Park Falls being the largest municipality in the county. The

following table includes 2015 population estimates for the municipalities within the county.

1

1 U.S. Census, Official Final Estimates, 1/1/2015, Wisconsin Minor Civil Divisions.

Place Name Final Estimate 2015

C Park Falls 2,504

T Worcester 1,568

C Phillips 1,432

T Lake 1,122

T Elk 999

T Fifield 903

T Ogema 718

V Prentice 656

T Eisenstein 621

T Flambeau 480

T Prentice 474

T Kennan 351

T Knox 345

T Hill 333

T Emery 293

T Spirit 274

T Catawba 268

T Harmony 225

T Georgetown 168

T Hackett 168

V Kennan 128

V Catawba 103

TOTAL POPULATION 14,133

3

Emergency Medical Services

Price County has one level IV trauma center in Park Falls. There are two level III trauma centers in

Woodruff and Medford, respectively, in nearby counties. The closest level I or level II trauma center is in

Marshfield, which is approximately 96 miles from Park Falls, the most populous municipality in Price

County. Marshfield also has the closest pediatric level I or level II trauma center accessible to Park Falls

by STH 13. The distance from a level I or level II trauma center will have a negative impact on the

outcome of a crash especially as the population ages.

4

There are 97 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Price County operating out of five different EMS

providers. The largest of these organizations is the Flambeau Hospital Ambulance.

Emergency Service Provider Number of EMTs

CENTRAL PRICE COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE 19

Fifield EMS First Responders 10

FLAMBEAU HOSPITAL AMBULANCE 42

PIKE LAKE EMS 6

PRENTICE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT AMBULANCE

SERVICE 20

TOTAL 97

There are 6.86 EMTs per 1,000 persons in the county, compared to 3.85 EMTs per 1,000 persons

statewide.

Economic Profile

2

Major employers in the county include Aspirus Pleasant View, Copps Food Center, Georgia-Pacific Corp.,

IAP Industrial Air Products, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Marquip Ward United, Phillips High

School, and Phillips Plating Corp. in Phillips; Biewer Wisconsin Sawmill Inc., Caterpillar Forest Products,

John A Biewer Co. of Wisconsin Inc., and Prentice School District in Prentice; and Chequamegon High

School, Community Health Resources, Flambeau River Papers, Park Falls Elementary School, Park Falls

Hardwoods, Park Manor, St. Croix of Park Falls Ltd., Super One Foods, Terry Palacek Truck Inc., U.S. Park

Falls Ranger District, and Weather Shield Windows and Doors in Park Falls.3

2 American Community Survey, 2014 County Business Patterns 3 Major Employers, Wisconsin’s WorkNet, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0%

Construction

Information

Transportation and warehousing

Professional, scientific, and technical services

Wholesale trade

Finance and insurance

Other services (except public administration)

Accommodation and food services

Retail trade

Health care and social assistance

Manufacturing

Price County by Employment Sector

5

The unemployment rate in this county has been, on average, 0.8% higher than that of the state over the

last decade.4

Workers who Reside in Price County Work in: People who Work in Price County Reside in:

Price County 5,606 Price County 5,606

Taylor County 255 Ashland County 592

Rusk County 183 Taylor County 148

Oneida County 101 Oneida County 69

Ashland County 69 Iron County 53

Lincoln County 69 Pierce County 49

Vilas County 42 Sawyer County 46

Wood County 28 Rusk County 43

Marathon County 26 Douglas County 24

Sawyer County 17 Lincoln County 22

Others 153 Others 137 5

Compared with other Wisconsin counties, there is not a large amount of persons commuting to and

from Price County. A fairly large number of workers commute to Price County from Ashland County,

and there is a good amount of flow in and out of Taylor County. This indicates that STH 13 carries a

higher volume of commuting traffic.

4 Unemployment rates, not seasonally adjusted – Bureau of Labor Statistics. 5 U.S. Census Bureau. 2009-2013 5-Year American Community Survey. County to County Commuting Flows for the United States and Puerto

Rico.

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Unemployment Rates, Price County & WI, 2006-2015

Price County Wisconsin

6

In 2013-2014, there were 102 licensed liquor establishments in the county. The following is a table of

license type by municipality. Establishments within a municipality but outside the county are not

included in the table.

Cat

awb

a

Ke

nn

an

Par

k Fa

lls

Ph

illip

s

Pre

nti

ce

Tow

ns

Tota

l (B

y Li

q. L

icen

se)

Class A beer (off-sale) AB 1 1 2 1 7 12

Class A liquor or Class A beer/Class A liquor (off-sale)

AL or ALB

7 5 1 3 16

Class B beer only (on/off sales) BB 1 1 1 3

Class B beer (on/off sales) and Class C wine

BB & CW

1 1 2

Class B liquor or Class B beer and Class B liquor

BL or BLB

1 1 9 6 2 50 69

others others 0

Total (By Municipalities) 2 1 18 15 5 61 102

CODE DESCRIPTION

AB Beer 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

BL Liquor for sale on-site (winery)

BLB Beer or liquor for sale on-site (bars, supper clubs)

CW Wine for sale on-site (restaurants) (usually in conjunction with BB)

7

Population Change

Between April 2010 and January 2015, the Wisconsin Demographic Services Center estimates that the

county has experienced 524 births and 744 deaths, indicating a county that is aging. 194 more people

moved into the county than moved out of the county. The net effect is a population decrease of 26

persons during this time, a decrease of 0.2%. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 22.5% of Price

County residents are ages 65 or greater, which about greater than the Wisconsin average.6 An aging

population is more vulnerable to significant injuries in vehicle crashes at any speed.

6 American Community Survey 5 year estimates, years 2010-2014

11.8%

15.7%

2.9%

2.0%

67.6%

0.0%

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%

AB

AL or ALB

BB

BB & CW

BL or BLB

others

Liquor Licenses in Price County, 2013-2014

8.4%

16.1%

6.1%

3.6%

64.6%

1.2%

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%

AB

AL or ALB

BB

BB & CW

BL or BLB

others

Liquor Licenses in Wisconsin, 2013-2014

8

Financial Impacts of Crashes (2010-2014)

In this county during the years 2010-2014, there were on average $14,423,689.40 in total costs,

including estimated medical costs, estimated other costs, and estimated quality of life costs annually.

An estimated 34.6 years of life were lost as a result of crashes annually. Crashes in which alcohol or

drugs were a contributing factor resulted in $3,137,355.80 in total costs and 1.4 years of life annually.7

7 University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Health Systems Research & Analysis, Wisconsin CODES Project: Wisconsin CODES Report Builder Custom Reporting System accessed on 10/20/2016

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Price County 47.4 48.1 48.8 49.2 49.8

Wisconsin 38.1 38.3 38.5 38.7 38.8

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

55.0

Median Age, Price Co. & Wisc., 2010-2014

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Price County 20.3% 20.6% 21.1% 21.7% 22.5%

Wisconsin 13.4% 13.5% 13.7% 14.1% 14.4%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

% of Population 65+, Price County and WI, 2010-2014

9

Crash Statistics

Crashes in Price County by Type, 2011-2015 Averages

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

Average

Speed

Related

Fatal

Crashes

Average

Speed

Related

Non-Fatal

Injury

Crashes

Average

Inattention-

Related Fatal

Crashes

Average

Inattention-

Related Non-

Fatal Injury

Crashes

1.6 47.8 0.2 6.4 0.8 13.0 0.0 11.0

Price County

% of crashes that were fatal

0.9%

% of alcohol or drug related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes

12.5%

% of speed related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes

50.0%

% of inattention related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes

0.0%

Wisconsin

% of crashes that were fatal

0.4%

% of alcohol or drug related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes

48.5%

% of speed related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes

28.2%

% of inattention related fatal crashes to all fatal crashes

18.1%

10

Location of Crashes in Price County by Road Type, 2011-2015

Total

Fatal

Crashes

Total

Non-Fatal

Injury

Crashes

Alcohol

or Drug-

Related

Fatal

Crashes

Alcohol

or Drug

Related

Non-Fatal

Injury

Crashes

Speed

Related

Fatal

Crashes

Speed

Related

Non-

Fatal

Injury

Crashes

Inattention

-Related

Fatal

Crashes

Inattention

- Related

Non-Fatal

Injury

Crashes

US/State

Highways 62.5% 57.7% 0.0% 59.4% 50.0% 40.0% N/A 78.2%

County

Highways 12.5% 18.0% 0.0% 12.5% 0.0% 33.8% N/A 9.1%

Local

Roads 25.0% 24.3% 100.0% 28.1% 50.0% 26.2% N/A 12.7%

Driver Possible Contributing Circumstances for All Crashes in Price County, 2011-2015

16%

5%

9%

10%

18%

19%

23%

OTHER CATAGORIES

LEFT OF CENTER

FAIL YIELD R-O-WAY

DRIVER CONDITION

INATTENTIVE DRIVING

SPEED TOO FAST/COND

FAILURE TO CONTROL

Driver Possible Contributing Circumstances for All Crashes in Price

County, 2011-2015

20%

5%

9%

12%

16%

17%

21%

OTHER CATAGORIES

DRIVER CONDITION

FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE

SPEED TOO FAST/COND

FAIL YIELD R-O-WAY

FAILURE TO CONTROL

INATTENTIVE DRIVING

Driver Possible Contributing Circumstances for All Crashes in State

of Wisconsin, 2011-2015

11

Fatalities and Incapacitating “A” Injuries by Age and Gender

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Fatalities and Incapacitating Injuries by Age, 2011-2015

KILLED A-INJURY

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Fatalities and Incapacitating Injuries by Age, State of

Wisconsin 2011-2015

KILLED A-INJURY

Male73%

Female27%

Fatalities and Incapacitating Injuries by Gender, 2011-2015

Male59%

Female41%

Fatalities and Incapacitating Injuries by Gender, State of

Wisconsin 2011-2015

12

Fatalities and Incapacitating “A” Injuries by State and Place of Residence

*Local is defined as persons with addresses that have ZIP codes fully or partially within Price County.

Safety Equipment Usage in Passenger Cars and Light Trucks during Crashes, 2011-2015

Belted Unbelted

Fatalities and "A" Injuries 66.7% 33.3%

Other, 2%WI, 92%

MN, 3%

IL, 2%

IA, 2%

Fatalities and Incapacitating "A" Injuries by State of Residence, 2011-2015

Local*, 67.8%

Non-Local, 32.2%

Fatalities and Incapacitating "A" Injuries by Place of Residence, 2011-2015

79.0%79.9%

82.4%

84.7%85.8%

88.4%

74.0%

76.0%

78.0%

80.0%

82.0%

84.0%

86.0%

88.0%

90.0%

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Statewide Safety Belt Use Rate

13

2014-2017 Grant Participation

Alcohol Occupant Protection Speed

2014

2015

2016

Price County Sheriff's Office Was Not Targeted Was Not Targeted Was Not Targeted Park Falls Police Dept. Was Not Targeted Was Not Targeted Was Not Targeted Phillips Police Dept. Was Not Targeted Was Not Targeted Was Not Targeted

2017

Price County Sheriff's Office Not Targeted Not Targeted Not Targeted Park Falls Police Dept. Not Targeted Not Targeted Not Targeted Phillips Police Dept. Not Targeted Not Targeted Not Targeted

Agency Mobilizations 2014-2015

2014

Alcohol

Crackdown

2014

Booze

and

Belts

2014

CIOT

2015

Drive

Sober

2015

Booze

and Belts

2015

CIOT

Price County Sheriff's Office Yes

Park Falls Police Dept.

Phillips Police Dept. Yes 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 win an equipment grant.

TraCS Participation

Price County Sheriff's Office TraCS 10

Park Falls Police Dept. TraCS 10

Phillips Police Dept. TraCS 10

Agencies Reporting Fatal Crashes and Crashes with Incapacitating “A” Injuries, 2011-2015

PHILLIPS POLICE DEPARTMENT 3

PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF 42

WISCONSIN STATE PATROL 4

TOTAL 49

These agencies could work together to coordinate their enforcement to arrive at a strategy to prevent

serious crashes from occurring.

14

Contact Information

RPM Beth Heflin (608) 598-9669 Elizabeth.Heflin@dot.wi.gov

SPM Theresa Nelson (608) 709-0062 TheresaM.Nelson@dot.wi.gov