Relating Wildlife Crashes to Road Reconstruction
Animal-Vehicle Crashes are a growing trend in America, and Wyoming in particular. The focus of this thesis is to determine the effect of road reconstruction on the number of wild animal crashes using changes in the reported animal-vehicle crash rates. Multiple literature sources were reviewed to assess the work previously accomplished in the field of animal-vehicle crashes, with a focus on the work performed in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, the Wyoming highway system was analyzed to locate sections of roadway with either animal-vehicle crash rates or frequencies that were higher than average. From these sections, seven reconstruction projects were selected for the study. Statistical analyses were performed with a focus on crash rates. The seven sections were analyzed as an aggregate data set, and it was determined that wild animal-vehicle crash rates experienced increases following reconstruction. During this same time period, those crash rates not associated with animal-vehicle crashes, as well as the overall crash rate, were generally observed to decrease. An analysis of changes in roadway design attributes was performed, and the only attribute observed to have a statistically significant impact on the animal-vehicle crash rate was design speed.
- Record URL:
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- Report Date: January 2007; Cover Page Date: April 2007. The Mountain-Plains Consortium edition of this report has a publication date of July 2007.
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Corporate Authors:
University of Wyoming, Laramie
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering
1000 East University Avenue
Laramie, WY United States 82071Wyoming Department of Transportation
5300 Bishop Boulevard
Cheyenne, WY United States 82009-3340Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND United States 58108 -
Authors:
- Young, Rhonda
- Vokurka, Christopher
- Publication Date: 2007-1
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Edition: Final Report
- Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 263p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Animal vehicle crashes; Animals; Before and after studies; Deer; Design speed; Geographic information systems; Literature reviews; Reconstruction; Roads; Statistical analysis; Wildlife
- Geographic Terms: Wyoming
- Subject Areas: Construction; Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01051563
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-WY-07/02F, MPC Report No. 07-189
- Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
- Created Date: Jun 18 2007 11:15AM