Thousands of vehicles collide with wild animals in Ontario every year – many of which are preventable, according to a new University of Waterloo study.
The study found that implementing “a few cost-effective strategies” would be enough to make a significant dent in the volume of such collisions.
Those strategies could include things like improved wildlife crossings of roadways, better signage in areas where wild animals are known to be present, and using wildlife detection systems.
Reducing collisions between vehicles and animals would save the lives of animals and the financial burden on drivers for car repairs, as well as reduce traffic delays and calls to emergency responders.
“Ontario is missing an opportunity here,” Waterloo associate professor Michael Drescher said in a news release.
“The most efficient way to prevent these accidents is to integrate effective measures in wildlife conflict zones every time major road work is undertaken.”
Drescher co-authored the study with graduate student Kristin Elton. Their work was recently published in the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management.
