Reserve, Wisconsin - Amber Marlow, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College Transportation/Internship Coordinator, and Ariana Barber, University of Wisconsin, Superior student.

Photo by Thelma Nayquonabe

by Thelma Nayquonabe

Reserve, Wisconsin (Akiing)

Amber Marlow, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College Transportation and Internship Coordinator, and Ariana Barber, student at the University of Wisconsin, Superior, created a study “Motor Vehicle Crash Investigation on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation” and recently presented their findings at the Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The conference topic was Safety on Indian Reservations in Wisconsin. The young women also gave their presentation at the Annual Transportation Research Board Meeting (TRB) in Washington, D.C.

The crash study took a year to analyze and complete, and the findings are startling. Data from Wisconsin Department of Transportation, entered into a data base, generated a map of crash cluster areas on the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Reservation. Main cluster areas of crashes were discovered on County Highway K at the following intersections: County Highways K & E, the corner of County Highway NN and Gurno Lake Road, and a residential area on County Highway E in the village of Skunawang.

776 crashes occurred in townships that encompass the reservation, including the the townships of Bass Lake, Sand Lake, Hayward, Hunter, Radisson and Couderay. 153 crashes occured within the reservation.

Information analyzed revealed the following information: Alcohol was a factor in 25 percent of crashes occurring on the reservation, and drivers on the reservation were 3 times more likely to be involved in a crash. When alcohol was involved, injuries occurred in 76 percent of crashes occurring on the reservation, and fatalities were a factor in 13 percent. The study also revealed that when alcohol was involved, 45 percent of drivers were 21 years of age or under.

Although the study indicated that 48 percent of drivers do wear seat belts, 32 crashes involved drivers not wearing safety belts. 75 percent of those crash victims not wearing safety belts had injuries and 13 percent involved fatalities. 88 percent of all drivers not wearing safety belts involved injuries and fatalities.

“Ariana and I worked on several projects together at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College,” Amber stated. “The crash study was completed to fulfill undergraduate requirements for a Dwight David Eisenhower fellowship,” she added.

Amber is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Superior, and is a new employee of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College where she was recently hired to perform duties of Transportation and Internship Coordinator. Amber is a descendant of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe.

Ariana is a student in Transportation and Logistics Management at University of Wisconsin, Superior, and she has one more semester to complete her degree. Ariana will graduate in 2006, and her future plans include an internship in the Twin Cities in Shipping and Receiving.

The crash investigation was completed in January 2005, and both young women want to take this project to the next level and organize major safety projects in schools, and conduct accident prevention work through funds generated from grants.

In order to be eligible for grants, there must be four years of historical data. “We want to continue working on this project so things can change,” said Ariana, who is a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe.

Ariana added “I wish people would recognize that there are accidents happening which can be prevented.”

“We are incorporating this investigation into the Transportation Element of the Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan for Lac Courte Oreilles,” Amber concluded.

Amber Marlow can be reached at 715-634-4790, ext. 156. e-mail at marlowa@lco.edu.