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September Spotlight - Deer Vehicle Collisions
Collisions
Invited Essay - by Todd Sullivan
Techniques
Deer Vehicle Collisions
Used to restrict deer movement across highways to help reduce DVCs. Expensive to install.
Requires proper maintenance. Unfortunately, can also have the undesirable effects of acting as a barrier to dispersal/migration.
Wildlife corridors
Wildlife corridors attempt to keep animals off highways while still maintaining the connectivity of the landscape. However, strategically placed corridors to allow deer to cross roadways have had limited success. Visual appearance of corridors greatly influences use.
Deer behavior modification Reflectors and warning whistles are supposed to help reduce DVCs. Swarflex reflectors are based on claims that reflected red light initiates an instinctive "freezing" behavior in deer. There is little evidence to support the claim that deer can distinguish red as a color or "freeze." Ultrasonic warning whistles are supposed to warn animals of approaching vehicles. Research has demonstrated that deer do not exhibit a behavioral response to vehicles equipped with these whistles.They have not been effective at reducing Utah DVCs.
Motorist behavior modification Permanent deer crossing signs are the most common technique. However, these signs are so frequently used that motorists habituate to and eventually disregard them. Novel signs placed in high risk areas during high risk times may provide the most effective means to alter the behavior of motorists and reduce DVCs. A 1999 Utah study demonstrated a 70% reduction in mule deer DVCs by using temporary flashing signs during seasonal migrations. These signs are currently being evaluated in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada as part of a graduate research project at Utah State University.
The
truck headlights illuminate another lifeless deer on the highway, only this
one is more noticeable as the light reflects off the antlers of the huge 4-point
buck. As you swerve to avoid it, you contemplate this wasted deer. Maybe
you could have been the one to harvest it this season instead of heading home
empty handed. Unfortunately, this deer has been killed by another type of
hunter: a passing vehicle. Yes, thousands of Utah's deer are killed
each year without a deer tag on the highways by cars like yours.
In Utah and other western states, deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) occur most
frequently in spring and autumn when deer migrate to and from/or occupy winter
ranges at low elevations. Highways are being continually upgraded and expanded
into deer habitat in order to accommodate increasing traffic volumes. Roads
fragment the habitat and can make migration and dispersal of mule deer difficult.
In fact, some mule deer populations may be adversely impacted by DVCs and
road construction. Unfortunately, all too often, the issue of wildlife vehicle
collisions is viewed as just an incidental taking of animals. In reality,
DVCs are not just costly accidents; they are often lost hunting opportunities
as well.
Deer-vehicle collisions have increased significantly in
the United States since 1980. Estimates indicate 1.5 million DVCs occur annually.
(Click to continue reading
this essay)
Monetary and intangible valuation of deer in the United States. Conover, M.R. 1997. Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:298-305.
Effectiveness of highway crosswalk structures at reducing deer-vehicle collisions. Lehnert, M.E., and J.A. Bissonette. 1997. Journal of Wildlife Management 25(4):809-818.
Deer-vehicle collisions:status of state monitoring activities and mitigation efforts. Romin, L.A. and J.A. Bissonette. 1996. Wildlife Society Bulletin 24:276-283.
Do White-tailed deer avoid red? An evaluation of the premise underlying the design of Swareflex wildlife reflectors. Zacks, J.L. 1985. Transportation Research Record 1075:35-43.
Addressing deer-vehicle accidents with an ecological landscape GIS approach. Hindelang, M., D. Premo, E. Rogers, K. Premo. 1999. p.185-192 in G.L. Evink, P. Garrett, and D. Zeigler,eds.,Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Wildlife Ecology and Transportation. Missoula, MT. 329 pp.
