| Other author/creator | Huijser, Marcel P. (Marcel Pieter), 1968- |
| Other author/creator | Western Transportation Institute. |
| Other author/creator | United States. Federal Highway Administration. |
| Other author/creator | United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Safety R&D. |
| Variant title |
At head of title: Making America's highways safer for drivers and wildlife |
| Contents |
Executive summary. Wildlife-vehicle collisions : a growing problem on U.S. roads ; What are the consequences? : the costs and impacts to drivers and animals ; Can the number of collisions be reduced? : methods for preventing collisions ; Are we making progress? : challenges faced by transportation agencies ; Where do we go from here? : opportunities and next steps -- Introduction -- Causes and characteristics of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Data sources ; National crash databases ; Evaluation methodologies ; Total magnitude ; Is the problem growing? ; Temporal distributions ; Severity ; Facility type ; Traffic density and speed ; Weather ; Animal species ; Landscape adjacent to roads ; Number of vehicles and collision type ; Deer population density ; Driver characteristics ; Summary -- Economic impacts of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Methods ; Average animal-vehicle collision ; Deer-, elk-, and moose-vehicle collisions ; Vehicle repair costs ; Human injuries ; Human fatalities ; Towing, accident attendance, and investigation ; Monetary value of animals ; Removal and disposal costs of deer carcasses ; Other costs ; Summary -- Impacts to wildlife. Threatened and endangered species ; Methods ; Results -- Mitigation methods that attempt to influence driver behavior. Public information and education ; Roadway warning signs ; Standard wildlife warning signs ; Large, nonstandard wildlife warning signs ; Seasonal wildlife warning signs ; Animal detection systems ; In-vehicle warnings : roadside animal detection system linked to on-board computer warning system ; In-vehicle warnings : on-board animal detectors ; Increase visibility of animals to drivers ; Increase visibility of animals to drivers : roadway lighting ; Increase visibility of animals to drivers : vegetation removal ; Increase visibility of animals to drivers : wider striping ; Increase visibility of animals to drivers : reflective collars for animals ; Increase visibility of animals to drivers : reduce height of snowbanks ; Reduce traffic volume on road network ; Temporary road closures ; Reduce vehicle speed ; Reduce vehicle speed by reducing the posted speed limit ; Reduce vehicle speed by traffic calming/reducing design speed ; Reduce vehicle speed by posting advisory speed signs ; Wildlife crossing guards -- |
| Contents |
Mitigation methods that seek to influence animal behavior. Deer reflectors and mirrors ; Audio signals in right of way or attached to vehicle (deer whistles) ; Olfactory repellents ; Deer flagging models ; Hazing ; Deicing alternatives ; Intercept feeding ; Influence species composition or minimize nutritional value of vegetation in right of way ; Remove carcasses along transportation corridor ; Increase median width -- Mitigation methods that seek to reduce wildlife population size. Wildlife culling ; Wildlife relocation ; Anti-fertility treatment ; Habitat alteration away from the road -- Mitigation methods that seek to physically separate animals from the roadway. Wildlife fencing ; Addressing undesirable effects of wildlife fencing ; Safe crossing opportunities : gaps in fence ; Safe crossing opportunities : wildlife underpasses and overpasses ; Escape opportunities from right of way ; Escape opportunities from right of way : jump-outs or escape ramps ; Escape opportunities from right of way : one-way gates ; Mitigation for fence ends : boulders between fence and roadway ; Mitigation for fence ends : animal detection systems ; Landscape aesthetics of wildlife fencing ; Reduce mortality risk of wildlife fencing ; Gaps caused by access roads ; Gaps caused by access roads : gates ; Gaps caused by access roads : cattle or wildlife guards ; Access for people such as hikers, skier, cyclers, and fishers ; Boulders in the right of way ; Long tunnels and long bridges over landscape ; Wildlife underpasses and overpasses -- Planning and design considerations. Identifying and prioritizing WVC problem areas ; Data collection and monitoring ; Alternative alignment, road removal, or no new road ; Consideration of design features -- Evaluation of mitigation methods by technical working group -- Gaps in current knowledge. Data issues ; Analysis issues ; Needed tools ; Summary -- Cost-benefit analyses of deer collision reduction measures -- Conclusion -- Appendix. Experts consulted for Endangered Species Act list. |
| Summary |
Under the SAFETEA-LU Congressional Bill, the Secretary of Transportation was directed to conduct a national wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) reduction study. The study was to advance the understanding of the causes and impacts of WVCs and identify solutions to this growing safety problem. This report contains the findings of this study, beginning with estimates on the current magnitude and trend for WVCs in the United States. Based on several national datasets, the study found that there are between one and two million WVCs annually in the United States and that the number is increasing. Estimates are provided for the costs associated with WVCs, and the impact of direct road mortality is described for 21 federally listed threatened and endangered species. The core of the report is an in-depth review of over 34 WVC mitigation methods assembled from information obtained from hundreds of literature sources (both published and "gray" literature). Each mitigation measure is described in detail, and information including case studies, benefits, costs, undesirable effects, and design guidelines is provided. The report also covers planning and design considerations and provides cost-benefit analyses for the mitigation methods that had sufficient data available to support these analyses. A working group of seven national experts provided input and evaluated the effectiveness of the mitigation methods, categorizing them as either recommended for implementation, recommended for future research, or not recommended for future research or implementation. A summary of their evaluation is included in this report. Recommendations for implementation of effective measures and for further investigation of promising mitigation measures are provided. |
| General note | Title from title screen (Western Transportation Institute, viewed on Mar. 25, 2011). |
| General note | "Performing organization, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University"--P. [i]. |
| General note | Study performed by the Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University. |
| General note | "August 2008." |
| General note | "FHWA-HRT-08-034." |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-232). |
| Report note | Final report. |
| Funding information | Sponsored by Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety Research and Development DTFH61-05-D-00018 |
| Issued in other form | Print version: Wildlife-vehicle collision reduction study |
| Technical rpt# | 4W1612 |
| Technical rpt number | FHWA-HRT-08-034 |
| GPO item number | 0982-G-11 (online) |
| Govt. docs number |
TD 2.30:08-034 |
