| General Travel Information
Caution: Animals Crossing
If you've driven on North American highways, you've seen
roadkill -- animals that have been killed by passing traffic.
At some time, you may have run over a small animal on the
road. You may even have had the harrowing experience of striking
a large animal.
Road collisions kill and maim wildlife, pets and humans, and
result in millions of dollars in insurance claims. According
to the Canada Safety Council, incidents are likely under-reported
because when a driver swerves or stops to avoid hitting an
animal, the resulting mishap may not be recorded as a collision
with an animal.
Deer and other big-game populations are on the rise. At the
same time, the number of vehicles on the road goes up every
year. The combination of animals with traffic has led to a
rise in serious collisions. Public awareness campaigns are
now underway to warn motorists of the danger and new ways
to prevent vehicles from hitting wildlife are being explored.
'Tis the Season to be Wary
In Alberta, December and January are the peak months for wildlife
collisions, due to animals seeking salt on the road, the safety
council states. But collisions with wildlife are a hazard
throughout the year. The majority of these crashes occur between
dusk and dawn, when visibility is low. However, animal activity
can be high during the daylight hours.
Ungulates (hoofed mammals) that stand high on their legs,
such as moose and deer, pose the mostdanger to vehicle occupants.
If they are hit they can roll onto the hood and into the windshield
or roof, resulting in extensive damage and serious or fatal
injury.
Today's large deer populations pose a year-round hazard.
However, deer collisions are at their highest in October and
November, which is the mating season and the time for migration
to winter yarding areas.
Newfoundland and New Brunswick may be a moose hunter's paradise,
but their abundant ungulates create a menace to unsuspecting
motorists. (Equally, motorists are a menace to unsuspecting
ungulates.) Those provinces report the most moose collisions
during June, July and August. Moose are especially hard to
see in low light because they are dark brown and their eyes
do not reflect light like those of deer.
Vigilance is the best defense
The sudden appearance of a large animal in the middle of the
highway, seemingly out of nowhere, is any driver's nightmare.
To protect themselves, defensive drivers adapt their speed
to conditions and keep alert for wildlife.
Vigilance is the first and best defense, especially when
driving on unfamiliar rural roads. Watch out for warning signs
that indicate high risk areas. Use eye-lead time and take
extra care. Ask passengers to help by scanning both sides
of the roadway. Use your high beams when no traffic is approaching
and never over-drive your headlights — you need to see
an animal in time to avoid hitting it.
Should you spot an animal beside the road, slow down until
you have safely passed it. Expect more animals to follow.
Animals near the roadside may bolt suddenly, so approach with
caution. Turn on your flashers to warn other drivers.
If the animal is in your path, brake firmly but do not swerve
to avoid it. Sound your horn in a series of short bursts to
frighten it away. Provided you can slow down with control,
steer around the animal but stay on the highway. Watch out
for oncoming traffic.
Seeking engineering solutions
Corridors which wildlife have used for millennia now intersect
roads. Wildlife researchers and safety officials are seeking
better ways to protect motorists from wildlife and vice versa.
Parks Canada erected an eight-foot-high fence along the Trans-Canada
Highway through Banff National Park. To redirect animal traffic,
22 underpasses (culverts) and two 164-foot-wide overpasses
were built. Highway kills dropped 96 per cent.
Reflector devices are being tested in some communities. They
pick up car headlights and direct a reflected beam to deter
deer from crossing in front of traffic. While the reflectors
have disadvantages, they seem to be more effective than whistles
or odour repellants. They may not be the best solution where
wildlife is active during the daytime hours.
Two new high-tech roadside systems developed in Canada take
opposite approaches to the problem. One warns the animals.
The other warns the drivers.The Wildlife Warning System, developed
by Saskatoon-based International Road Dynamics Inc., uses
proven technologies to sense vehicles and then to warn the
animals. The system monitors traffic entering a problem area.
Approaching vehicles trigger a sensor, which selectively activates
deterrent devices (e.g. sounds or lights) to scare the animals
away from the road and let traffic pass safely.
The Saskatchewan government is testing the system on a stretch
of highway notorious for wildlife-vehicle collisions. There
are no official results yet but during the first year of operation
deer-vehicle collisions seem to have dropped.
The Wildlife Protection System, developed by InTransTech
in Edmonton, uses infrared cameras to detect the presence
of wildlife on or near the highway and then warns drivers
with real-time information to slow down. Based on infrared
technology the system works in both light and darkness. It
also has the ability to see through smoke, snow and fog with
actual visual quality dependant on the thickness or density
of the material in the air. The Insurance Corporation of British
Columbia is piloting it in Kootenay National Park.
Similar NASA infrared technology is available in some General
Motors cars.
NightVisionTM enhances the driver's ability to detect potentially
dangerous situations, such as the presence of animals or pedestrians,
beyond the range of the headlamps.
These are a few of the techniques being tried to prevent collisions
with wildlife. However, there is still no substitute for a
defensive driver.
Collisions with wildlife a problem
across Canada
Maritimes
Newfoundland reports over 500 moose-vehicle collisions and
vehicle damage costs of more than $1 million annually. New
Brunswick reports about 250 moose-vehicle collisions a year.
Quebec
There are over 7,000 collisions annually with deer, moose,
caribou and black bears (in order of frequency) including
1,500 with moose. In one region, one-third of all road crashes
involve deer.
Ontario
In 2001, wild animals were involved in four fatal collisions
(initial impact) and 490 injury collisions as well as 10,632
property damage collisions.
Manitoba
In 2000, Manitoba Public Insurance paid out $16 million in
claims related to wildlife collisions, an increase of $4 million
from 1999. About 8,200 collisions were reported and 200 people
were injured.
Saskatchewan
In 2001 there were 11,775 collisions with animals, and Saskatchewan
Government Insurance paid $22.6 million in claims. The cost
of wildlife/vehicle collisions is growing at a rate of more
than $1-million per year.
Alberta
Collisions involving wildlife and domestic animals have nearly
doubled in the past 10 years, from 5,997 cases in 1991 to
11,412 in 2001. There are an average 4.5 fatalities and 301
injuries annually.
British Columbia
In 2001 wild animals were a factor in 349 injuries and two
fatalities. Domestic animals were involved in a further 85
injuries and one fatality.
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