WISCONSIN — According to a new study of fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Wisconsin is one of the deadliest states when it comes to police pursuits.

The study shows that our state recorded 535 fatal crashes in 2023, with 11, or 2.06% of those fatal crashes directly caused by a police chase.

The study adds that in Wisconsin, the State Patrol’s Pursuit Operations Policy instructs that troopers may engage in a pursuit only when it can be done without creating “unreasonable danger,” and that officers must continuously weigh the risk to the public.

One example of how this policy is followed by the police is in the City of Waukesha, where, according to the study, the police require every officer to undergo vehicle pursuit training and use a “pur

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