The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) claims that rebuilding State Highway 131 between Ontario and Rockton will reduce the number of accidents on STH 131. This is one of the reasons why this is wrong.

The following are statistics of all Vernon and Richland County accidents on HWY 131 in 1998, by cause, as provided by the Vernon County Sheriff's Department. Whitestown Township is the section of HWY 131 to be rebuilt. Stark Township is from Rockton to about 1.2 miles south of LaFarge and has been completely "improved". Forest Township is from that point to Viola. Kickapoo Township is from Viola to Crawford County.

Accidents Reported to the Vernon County Sheriff's Dept. in 1998 on HWY 131

83% of all vehicle accidents in Whitestown Township in 1998 were deer accidents. WDOT proposes to spend $15 million to reduce accidents along this stretch of road. Although WDOT has completely "improved" HWY 131 in Stark Township, deer still accounted for 100% of the accidents. Since Stark Township segments of HWY 131 average about ten mph faster than Whitestown segments, it might be assumed that the deer accidents in Stark Township occurred at higher speed and caused more damage. The WDOT has not provided evidence to the contrary. The average cost of a deer accident runs $1,500 and $1,600 per vehicle according to recent Pennsylvavia and Michigan studies. In the Pennsylvania study, only one-third of vehicle insurance claims were deer related. The percentage of HWY 131 deer accidents far exceeds one-third. The WDOT presents the new road as reducing the HWY 131 accident rate to the state average of 210 accidents/one million vehicle miles, or maybe better, but the average includes old sections of highway. The WDOT fails to account for the deer population along HWY 131 or the Stark Township deer accident statistics in its optimistic projection.

Suggestions of how to reduce the deer accident rate for far less tax money.

• Put up deer crossing signs. There are none now.
• Post signs reading "HIGH CRASH AREA" underneath the deer crossing signs. This has been done in some places nationally to emphasize the danger.
• Cut the five-foot tall canary grass that grows along HWY 131 more often. This year, partly because the highway department was very busy repairing flood damage elsewhere in the county, the roadside grass was not cut until early July. Deer cannot be seen in the grass or around road bends if not regularly cut.
  
  
• Develop programs to lure deer away from the highway.
• Extend the hunting season in this area. Special hunting privileges might be allowed area farmers or the Ho-Chunk.