Deer in the Headlights

Study shows deer-vehicle collisions on the rise

If you haven't hit or been hit by a deer on the highway, chances are you know someone who has. A study by the Institute for Highway Safety shows that deer-vehicle accidents increased by 69 percent in Illinois and four other states.

A national study funded by the Institute for Highway Safety shows that deer-vehicle collisions are on the rise. The study also reported that some current methods of preventing deer-vehicle collisions are not effective or require more investigation.

The study, said to be the first to look at this problem on a national level, relied on federal and state data, and academic studies. According to the report, more than 1.5 million traffic crashes involving deer produce at least $1.1 billion in vehicle damage and 150 fatalities each year.

"Deer-vehicle collisions typically occur in darkness on high-speed, two-lane, rural roads, especially when forest cover is close to the road," said the report.

From the years 1992 to 1995, there were an average of 111 fatal crashes per year compared to an average of 154 fatal crashes per year involving animals from 1998 to 2001, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is an increase of 39 percent. NHTSA reported 274,000 total police-reported crashes with animals annually in 2000-01 compared with 222,000 in 1992 - 93, an increase of 24 percent.

The study notes that most state crash data do not distinguish crashes involving deer from those involving other animals such as moose, elk, horses, and cattle. Data from states that do distinguish the types of animals involved in the crashes show that most are with deer. For example, Michigan reported that 99.7 percent of crashes involving animals are with deer. In Minnesota, it's more than 90 percent and in Pennsylvania 93 percent.

According to the report, deer-vehicle collisions increased by 69 percent in five states combined (Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, and Utah) from 1985 to 1991. Deer-vehicle crashes increased in Pennsylvania by 54 percent from 1994 to 2000.

The study concluded that, based on evidence from studies, deer whistles and deer flagging signs are not effective. Deer whistles attach to vehicles and produce ultrasonic noise in the attempts to drive deer away. Deer flagging is based upon the observation that whitetail deer raise their tails as a warning sign to other deer. Silhouette models of whitetail deer from behind with raised tails were placed along highways, but it was shown not to be effective at affecting deer movement in experimental studies.

The report concludes that fencing, combined with appropriately placed underpasses and overpasses, is the only method proven effective to preventing deer from entering the road and reducing deer-vehicle collisions. There are other methods such as herd reduction, roadside clearing, and road signage where more research is needed about their effectiveness.

Source: Institute For Highway Safety

DECEMBER 2004 www.aiec.coop 27