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Deer-vehicle crashes: extensive peak at 1 hour after sunset
1Traffic Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|September 25, 2001
Summary
Deer-vehicle crashes (DVCs) peak one hour after sunset. Drivers should reduce speed and stay alert after sunset to minimize DVC risks, especially during fall and summer when risks are highest.
Area of Science:
- Traffic safety research
- Wildlife-human interaction studies
- Road ecology
Background:
- Over 500,000 deer-vehicle crashes (DVCs) occur annually in the US.
- Previous research indicated DVCs are frequent at dusk and dawn.
- Existing studies often overlook the interplay between visibility and animal behavior around sunset/sunrise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal patterns of crash risk related to wildlife.
- To provide road users with better information on high-risk periods for DVCs.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 13,379 moose and 8,191 white-tailed deer crashes in Finland.
- Correlated crash data with sunset/sunrise times based on location and date.
- Calculated DVC rates by comparing crash numbers to adjusted traffic volume data.
Main Results:
- The highest crash incidence for both moose and white-tailed deer occurred approximately one hour post-sunset.
- Relative crash risk increased significantly, peaking at over 30 times the seasonal daytime rate for white-tailed deer (fall) and over 60 times for moose (summer).
Conclusions:
- Drivers face the highest risk of DVCs in the hour following sunset.
- Reducing speed and increasing driver alertness after sunset are crucial for mitigating DVC risk.
- Awareness of temporal crash variations can enhance road safety for both drivers and wildlife.
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