AN INVESTIGATION OF SWAREFLEX WILDLIFE WARNING REFLECTORS. FINAL REPORT

The rise in the number of vehicle-deer accidents has increased the need for an effective means of keeping deer off of roadways when vehicles are present. This project evaluates the effectiveness of Swareflex Warning Reflectors. These red reflectors are claimed to frighten deer from the highway when illuminated by headlights of a passing vehicle. They are effective, the manufacturer argues, because deer are innately afraid of red. The research was conducted in two Phases. In Phase I the spectral sensitivity of the white-tailed deer was evaluated. The purpose was to understand some basic aspects of color vision in the white-tailed deer, since the color of the reflector was argued to be the reason for its effectiveness. Phase I results suggest that the white-tailed deer is relatively more sensitive to light of shorter wavelengths than is the human, but revealed nothing special about their vision which might be the basis for a deterent system. Phase II of the projeect examined the effectiveness of the reflectors in stopping deer from passing through a "barrier" of red Swareflex reflectors. This Phase was designed to determine whether there was any evidence that the white-tailed deer is innately afraid of red, and whether such an innate fear could be used to frighten them from the highways. No evidence was found in this situation for the assumed innate fear of red. The reflector barrier had no observable effect on the behavior of the deer. The results are considered in the light of inconsistent reports from other states on the effectiveness of the Swareflex reflectors. It is argued that, where the accident rates may have decreased, the effects might be due to influence of the reflectors on the behavior of the drivers rather than on the behavior of the deer.

• Corporate Authors:

  Zacks (James L)

  4446 Calgary Boulevard
  Okemos, MI  United States  48864

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Michigan Department of Transportation

  State Transportation Building, 425 West Ottawa Street, P.O. Box 30050
  Lansing, MI  United States  48909
• Authors:
  • Zacks, J L
• Publication Date: 1985-7

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 53 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Deer; Measures of effectiveness; Red; Reflectorized materials; Warning devices; Wildlife
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00451990
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-MI-RD-85-04
• Contract Numbers: 0010(7)
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 31 1988 12:00AM