Life Sciences Commons^™

Nighttime Traffic Volume Predicts Risk Of Deer–Vehicle Collisions, James H. Stickles, Bradley S. Cohen, David A. Osborn, Robert J. Warren, Gino J. D'Angelo, Karl V. Miller

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Annually, in the United States, >1 million deer (Odocoileus spp.)–vehicle collisions are reported, resulting in losses of $4.6 billion in vehicle damage and medical expenses. Wildlife and transportation managers require better information about traffic volumes relative to seasonal and diurnal deer movement patterns to appropriately evaluate the risks associated with deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs). We incorporated traffic volume data with DVC data and the movement rates and incidences of road crossings by white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) to evaluate if traffic volume or deer behaviors mediate the incidence of DVCs along a high-volume interstate highway in Morgan County in …