Methods To Reduce Traffic Crashes Involving Deer PDF Download

This report reviews 39 mitigation measures that reduce animal vehicle collisions and that provide habitat connectivity for wildlife across highways. The overview is restricted to mitigation measures aimed at large terrestrial mammals (deer size and larger). However, this report also includes information regarding how such measures may affect or benefit federally endangered or threatened species in Montana, regardless of their size. In addition to the detailed information for each mitigation measure, a summary table is provided that provides at a glance information on the costs and benefits of the individual mitigation measures for which such data were available. Furthermore, the report graphically illustrates which measures have the best monetary balance (the difference between benefits and costs) and which measures reduce animal vehicle collisions and associated costs best. Based on the results, the authors of this report identified wildlife fencing, with or without wildlife underpasses or a combination of wildlife underpasses and overpasses, and animal detection systems with wildlife fencing, as the most cost effective mitigation measures. Animal detection systems without wildlife fences or wildlife fences with a high density of wildlife overpasses are also cost effective, but more data on system effectiveness are needed before these systems are recommended for implementation rather than further study. The final section of the report provides suggestions on the implementation or study for each of the 39 mitigation measures.