Animals that enter a roadway increase the risk of motorist injuries, fatalities and property damage – especially when the animal is a large ungulate such as an elk or deer.
Fences and wildlife crossings can be effective in reducing animal crossings but may be cost-prohibitive in many areas. To identify less costly solutions, the Arizona Department of Transportation evaluated fence tags, which emit ultraviolet light visible.
The agency installed the tags at regular intervals along a two-mile stretch of highway and compared crash data before and after installation to determine whether they effectively deterred the animals from entering.
Read the research brief: Exploring New Methods to Reduce Animal-Vehicle Collisions, August 2023
Image source: Arizona Department of Transportation