Preventing Moose Road Accidents
Collisions Between Moose and Vehicles Kill Animals and People
In British Columbia, the Wildlife Collision Prevention Program has been studying moose habits and roadkill patterns. Some misconceptions about moose need to change.
Moose are a Known Danger to Vehicles
The moose (Alces alces) seems like a weird animal to those who know it from cartoons like The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. To people who drive in areas of moose habitat, the moose is known to be more dangerous than comical.
Statistics About Moose Collisions in British Columbia
The British Columbia Conservation Foundation's Wildlife Collision Prevention Program reports that in a typical year in B.C.,
- 3 people are killed in wildlife collisions
- 368 motorists are injured in wildlife collisions
- highway cleanup for wildlife collisions by the Ministry of Transport costs $600,000
- 17,300 animals are killed in wildlife collisions
- of these, 14,000 animal deaths go unreported.
Another statement by the Wildlife Collision Prevention Program is, "There are 4 to 8 large animal vehicle collisions every hour in Canada."
Not all of the collisions involve moose. Deer account for about 76%. The remaining 24% is a mix of moose, elk, bear, coyote, and other wildlife.
Misconceptions about Moose on the Highway
The Wildlife Collision Prevention Program is using public education as one of its tactics in trying to reduce the number of accidents in northern B.C. Some of their messages are:
- Moose eyes do reflect the light from headlights, but often the moose's eyes are too high above the beam to catch the light. A grown moose often stands taller than a car.
- Swerving to miss the animal is dangerous, and often causes an accident. However, hitting a moose can be fatal, so swerving may be the better of two bad choices. It's better to drive slowly and obey wildlife warning signs.
- Moose are a hazard in summer (as well as in winter). They crave salt and often get it from the side of the road.
- Moose collisions have a very high risk of injury and death for the humans in the car. The moose's legs are knocked out from under him, and the heavy (500 kg or more) body lands on the car's hood and roof, causing severe damage and loss of control of the vehicle.
- Long straight stretches of road are still hazardous. Drivers tend to speed and thus cannot react in time if a moose or other animal does appear.
- Deer are herding animals. Just because you miss one does not mean you are clear of them.
- There are no studies proving conclusively that deer whistles work. It is better to be wildlife aware when driving, and not to rely on the whistle.
Ongoing Research
So far, the researchers have found that moose in northern B.C. have different movement patterns in different regions. They have identified some of the peak danger periods for various areas.
In 2008, the Wildlife Collision Prevention Program will be implementing some measures to try and reduce the number of wildlife vehicle accidents. The program is meant to reduce the financial and human costs of collisions, and to reduce the number of animals killed on the highways.
