It's important in real estate and equally important in predicting locations which have high risk factors for wildlife vehicle collisions.
The analysis of many wildlife kill sites in Canada's National Mountain Parks indicated that the physical characteristics of the highway and the adjacent corridor were good predictors of locations with high numbers of wildife-vehicle collisions.
The first three factors are self evident. The availability of forage and water close to the road is likely to increase the presence of animals.
The fourth factor is more troublesome. One assumption is that when there are good road conditions - long, wide and straight - motorists tend to feel safer and more confident, and therefore accelerate. This increase in speed reduces the reaction time of the driver when an animal is seen on the road.
The British Columbia Ministry of Transportion and Infrastructure (MoT) administers the Wildlife Accident Reporting System (WARS). The WARS system is designed to analyze wildlife accident data collected by MoT Maintenance Contractors on numbered highways in BC. This data is the best source of information on wildlife vehicle collision locations in BC, and is becoming a model for other jurisdictions seeking to record and monitor wildlife vehicle collisions.
Wildlife Killed on BC Numbered Highways 1998 to 2007
(by MoT Highway Region)
Data collected by MoT Highway Maintenance Contractors using WARS
Table and map excerpted from:
Sielecki, L., 2010, Wildlife Accident Monitoring and Mitigation in British Columbia, WARS 1988-2007, Special Annual Report, British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Engineering Branch, Environmental Management Section, British Columbia, Canada. Page 6-4.
South Coast Region - includes Vancouver Island and the southern coast of B.C.
Southern Interior Region - located between the Rocky Mountains and the Coast Mountains, including the Kootenays, the Okanagan, the Thompson-Nicola, and the Cariboo-Chilcotin west to Bella Coola.
Northern Region - extends from approximately the middle of BC, west to Prince Rupert, east to the Alberta border, and north to the Yukon border.
The Southern Interior Region has approximately 55% of all the wildlife vehicle collisions in B.C. This is due to the high number of collisions that occur in the Kootenay area of the province.
More detailed information on wildlife-related motor vehicle collision factors; cost of wildlife-related motor vehicle accidents; common wildlife collision mitigation methods used by BC MoTI; and provincial, regional and district collision statistics can be found in the WARS reports.
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The risk of having a collision with wildlife is not restricted to rural roads or highways. Wildlife is present in urban settings as well.
Bear are a problem in many municipalities in September and October. When food supplies become scarce at higher elevations, bear move lower down into the valley bottoms where food may be more readily available. It is a severe problem in some areas.
As well as the seasonal problems in the fall,
some municipalities have challenges all year.
On Vancouver Island, Comox has permanent
deer warning signs posted in their downtown area.
Municipal Sign, Comox BC
Photo courtesy of Jim Hesse
In the interior of BC, Prince George has begun a
preliminary analysis of factors leading to the large
numbers of moose-vehicle collision within the city
limits. View the Report.
Nontraditional signage has been located on a
stretch of urban roadway where moose are
Of course, smaller animals, such as racoons, porcupines, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, etc., are also present, sometimes in large numbers, in urban settings.
Drivers need to be cautious on roads that connect outlying sections of a city with the more populated downtown areas. These roads may pass through less developed areas, which provide habitat for wildlife species.
Click here to view and/or print an FAQ list about wildlife vehicle collision prevention