Deer vehicle accidents have been the cause of considerable property damage and the loss of biotic resources. This is especially the case in rural areas in mountainous terrain where nighttime driver visibility is poor. The purpose of this research was to determine if deer-vehicle accidents were affected by fixed highway illumination. This was done by comparing responses of motorists to deer on the highway and deer responses to the motorists, with and without fixed illumination. Estimated deer crossings per kill was 9.7 percent higher with the lights on compared to lights off. When a deer simulation was present under lighted conditions mean vehicle speeds decreased by 13.9 km (8.6 miles) per hour with brake lights observed on 50.6 percent of the approaching vehicles. The Roadway Lighting Committee (1972) recommends lighting standards based on mean horizontal illumination and illumination uniformity ratios for different roadway and area classifications.


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    Title :

    Highway Lighting to Prevent Deer-Auto Accidents


    Contributors:
    D. F. Reed (author) / T. N. Woodard (author) / T. D. I. Beck (author)

    Publication date :

    1977


    Size :

    35 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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