EFFECTIVENESS OF WILDLIFE WARNING REFLECTORS IN REDUCING DEER-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IN WASHINGTON STATE

The effectiveness of Swareflex Wildlife Reflectors in reducing deer-vehicle collision rates was tested on SR 395 in eastern Washington State where high mortality rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) had previously been recorded. Reflectors were placed in four test sections and alternately covered and uncovered at regular intervals during the late fall to early spring period from 1981 to 1984. During this period, 52 deer were killed at night in test sections where the reflectors were covered and six deer were killed at night when the reflectors were uncovered. This difference in deer-vehicle collision rates between the covered and uncovered periods is significant (p less than .005), indicating that the reflectors were effective on this highway during this time period. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/064.1.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Program Development Division, Transportation Building
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504-5201
• Authors:
  • Schafer, J A
  • Penland, S
  • Carr, W P
• Publication Date: 1984-8

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 17 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Deer; Fatalities; Measures of effectiveness; Reflectorized materials; Safety; Traffic safety; Wildlife
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00393958
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: WA-RD 64.1 Final Rpt., HS-039 199
• Files: HSL, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1989 12:00AM