Wildlife-vehicle collision reduction study : report to Congress /
| Corporate Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Government Document eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[McLean, Va.] :
U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration,
[2008]
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo14409 |
Table of 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
- 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.