Analysis of Vehicle Collisions with Moose and Deer on New Brunswick Arterial Highways

Many studies provide sobering statistics on the number of mooseand deer-vehicle collisions that occur annually on North American highways, and the resulting property damage, animal deaths, personal injuries, and human fatalities. Recent accidents involving moose in New Brunswick have again brought the issue to the forefront. This study was undertaken to identify those sections of various New Brunswick arterial highways with high levels of vehicle-ungulate collisions, and to statistically determine which factors, or combination of factors, make these areas more susceptible to these collisions. The objective was to identify the conditions of the roadways, and their surrounding landscape, which lead to a higher probability of mooseand deer-vehicle accidents. Identifying the influencing environmental and habitat variables helps, in turn, to identify which areas should be the focus of mitigative procedures for existing highways and provides a valuable component and enhancement to the highway planning and design process for proposed highways.