South Dakota DeerVehicle Collision Data

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South Dakota Deer-Vehicle Collision Data

• Art Smith
• Dept. of Game, Fish Parks
• 523 E. Capitol Ave, Pierre
• 605.773.7595
• art.smith_at_state.sd.us

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25 of all SD crashes from 1999-2004 caused by
hitting a wild animal
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South Dakota is not alone!
Estimated 5-year increase in regional deer
complaints AFWA, 2004
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Deer-Vehicle crashes occur when deer vehicles
try to occupy the same place at the same time

• The human population is increasing
• Number of registered vehicles is rising
• Number of total miles traveled is rising
• Number of rural miles traveled is rising

So even if deer populations are not increasing,
the probability of deer-vehicle crashes will
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Along with increasing probabilities of
deer-vehicle collisions is an increase in vehicle
repair costs

• Utah 1996-2001 example
• average vehicle damage costs due to deer
  collisions

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Medical costs associated with deer-vehicle
collisions are also important

• 94.7 of all DVC result in no human injuries
• 2.2 possible injuries
• 1.8 bruises and abrasions
• 1.2 broken bones bleeding
• 0.04 fatal
• 97.9 of all DVC do not result in hospitalization
• Average hospitalization cost 3,470

Utah, 1996-2001 DVC data
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So what are South Dakota state agencies doing
about deer-vehicle collisions?

• GFP DOT combine for carcass removals
• SDARS collected by law enforcement
• Mapping of carcass and accident report data
• Annual press releases DMS sign warnings
• DVC Stakeholder Group
• examine mapping data
• develop public awareness campaigns
• state level
• local level

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Mapping Public Education

• Mapping data sources
• Carcass removals
• South Dakota Accident Reporting System
• Public Awareness Campaign
• news releases / roadway signs / interviews
• local news info

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Mapping - carcass collection data
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Mapping - carcass collection data

• Contractors name
• Date of pick-up
• Location (highway, mrm)
• UTMs
• Species
• Sex
• Date of complaint
• Flagged or not flagged

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Mapping - carcass collection data

• How severe the problem is
• How many accidents are occurring
• Rough idea of when the accident occurred
• season

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Mapping - South Dakota Accident Reporting System

• Codified law required citizen reporting to law
  enforcement of accidents involving at least 1
  motor vehicle within a trafficway
• causing fatality
• injury, or
• property damage of 1,000 to 1 person or 2,000
  per accident
• SDCL 32-34-7, 32-34-10, 32-34-13
• http//www.state.sd.us/dps/AccidentRecords/acciden
  t.htm

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Mapping - South Dakota Accident Reporting System

• How severe the problem is, risk for humans and
  deer
• How many accidents are occurring
• How severe the accidents are
• who is involved
• season
• time of day
• age/sex of driver

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Mapping

• Carcass removal data
• 12,000 annually
• 92 on state / interstate highways only
• South Dakota Accident Reporting System
• 5,000 annually reported due to wild animal
• 95 wild animal due to deer
• statewide reporting
• minimum damage reporting level

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Mapping

• Find locations or road sections w/ higher than
  average deer-vehicle collisions
• Prioritize these areas by degree of severity
• Use habitat modeling and/or expert opinion to
  precisely locate successful and unsuccessful
  crossings by deer
• Consider variety of tools to reduce deer-vehicle
  collisions

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Deer-vehicle collision reduction inputs

• traffic patterns
• seasonality
• time of day
• road characteristics
• surrounding land use
• deer movement patterns
• topography

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Deer-vehicle collision reduction tools

• standard deer crossing signs
• enhanced deer warning signs
• animal detection systems
• wildlife warning mirrors/reflectors
• exclusionary fencing
• wildlife under- overpasses
• education

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Mapping

• Provide hot spot location information
• direct mitigation efforts
• direct public awareness efforts
• Provide evaluation process for mitigation
  techniques
• Provide guidance for response to public inquiries
  about deer-vehicle collisions
• Provide roadway designers knowledge to make safer
  roads
• Provide wildlife managers information on deer
  movement potential mitigation techniques

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Mapping - carcass collection data
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Public Education

• Annual News releases
• drive slower, especially at dawn dusk
• be on the lookout for deer
• dont swerve, hit deer instead
• Roadway warning signs
• "Watch for deer on roads"
• "Watch for deer crossing the road"
• Deer-vehicle Collision Awareness month
• statewide
• local awareness programs

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Public Education

• Wildlife roadway safety professionals are
• objective
• make right decisions based on science
• if everyone listened wed be all right
• However, a persons decision making influenced
  by
• prior experience
• social pressure
• intuition
• other factors
• Examples seat belt use deer whistles

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Public Education

• Public education will be a big part in reducing
  deer-vehicle collisions
• the public doesnt naturally listen to experts
• Public relations education will take the
  forefront in reducing deer-vehicle collisions
• We need to understand the difficulties we will
  encounter

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Conclusion 2005 deer-vehicle crash reductions
strategic agenda

• 4 general action items
• Increase intra- and inter-agency coordination
  with respect to DVCs develop state- and/or
  agency-based committees or coalitions.
• Increase awareness of the DVC issue through a
  variety of activities provide correct DVC
  messages to the appropriate audience.

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Conclusion 2005 deer-vehicle crash reductions
strategic agenda

• 4 general action items
• Consistent DVC-related data collection carcass
  collection accident reporting.
• Promote the development, evaluation, and/or
  implementation of potential and existing DVC
  countermeasures add to the limited knowledge
  base of the potential ecological and safety
  impacts of these countermeasures.