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Identifying Deer-Vehicle Collision Concentrations in Minnesota

Status:  Complete
Report Date:  08/01/2024

Summary:

Substantial economic consequences from human injuries and property damage, in addition to social and environmental costs, result from deer-vehicle collisions. While MnDOT uses fencing and other safety measures to keep deer off the roads, knowing the areas where these and other barriers would be most effective is dependent on numerous factors. For example, many collisions go unreported, so the extent of the issue remains unknown. New tools, data and methods for identifying at-risk locations and estimating unreported collisions have been devised to help guide the agency in minimizing deer-vehicle collisions. Investigators drove 1,000 miles per month in a defined area for more than 18 months to collect data from the aftermath of deer-vehicle collisions. Comparing that data to accident reports showed that only one in four accidents is reported. Then, combining multiple data sets on collisions, road characteristics, land cover and other variables assisted in explaining what factors correlate with an increased risk of deer-vehicle collisions. A mapping tool fueled by a machine-learning model will help MnDOT identify the deer-vehicle collision risk on any road segment in Minnesota so that engineers can implement safety measures where they are most effective.

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