Using Collision Data, GPS Technology and Expert Opinion to Develop Strategic Countermeasure Recommendations for Reducing Animal–Vehicle Collisions in Northern British Columbia A report of the Wildlife Collision Working Group for The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the Road Health Task Force by Road Health-University Wildlife Collision Mitigation Research Team College of Science and Management University of Northern British Columbia Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9 Specific recommendations from this study and in this report are provided by the authors for sponsoring agencies to consider. These recommendations do not represent the findings, opinions or policies of sponsoring agencies or of UNBC. December 2006 Cite this document as: Road Health-University Wildlife Collision Mitigation Research Team. 2006. Using Collision Data, GPS Technology and Expert Opinion to Develop Strategic Countermeasures Recommendations for Reducing Animal–Vehicle Collisions in Northern British Columbia. Unpublished Report. Prince George, BC. 145p. 0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A study was conducted in an effort to determine the temporal and spatial dynamics of animal-vehicle collisions in northern British Columbia. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) Animal strike data from January 1996 to November 2005 were analyzed in an effort to determine exactly when and where various species of animals are being struck by vehicles across northern BC. Data from the Wildlife Accident Reporting System (WARS; 1978-2004) of the Ministry of Transportation were also analysed in an effort to pinpoint where animal carcasses are being collected by highway contractors. Additionally, a unique collaboration between the University of Northern BC and a Winnipeg-based company (Persentech) led to the creation of a GPS device that was used in a pilot project with three local trucking companies to log the occurrence of moose and deer (both dead and alive) on highways leading out of Prince George, BC. These data were uploaded to a Geographical Information System and mapped and analyzed to determine where moose and deer are being observed along various sections of the highway corridor and are being killed by vehicles. These data were combined with data collected during an Expert Opinion Survey that was conducted in an effort to assess how the opinions of various local experts on wildlife-vehicle collisions compared with various datasets. Finally, a survey of logging truck drivers was conducted to record baseline data on the occurrence of animal-truck strikes on secondary roads in northern BC. The main objective of the research was to determine when and where animal-vehicle collisions are occurring in northern BC so that site- and animal-specific countermeasures could be recommended for deployment in strategic ways. Our findings suggest that collisions with different animal species peak at various times of the day and seasons of the year and that, within a species, collisions occur differently depending on what part of the province is under consideration. Collisions appear to be common throughout the north, but according to our findings from our GPS device pilot project, WARS data and Expert Opinion surveys also appear to be concentrated in certain collision prone areas. Furthermore, some animals are found along certain highways sections despite the fact that few individuals are struck by vehicles in these areas. Our review of the literature suggests that several coarse and fine filter options for countermeasure implementation exist. We recommend mitigation efforts begin now to use these data for road safety planning and be focused on implementing countermeasures in specific areas across various communities in northern BC. It is recommended that such efforts be planned out in a species-specific and temporally sensitive way. Key Words: Animal, Car, Countermeasures, Driving Hazard, Expert Opinion, GPS, Highways, Mitigation, Motorists, Roads, Road kill, Ungulate, Wildlife Collision. Contributing Authors in Alphabetic Order: Scott Emmons, Micheal Hurley, Nicole Klassen, Eric Rapaport and Roy Rea Corresponding Authors: Roy Rea, Eric Rapaport and Scott Emmons 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank Gayle Hesse, David Dickson, Alim Karim, Dexter Hodder, Frank Fanczyk at Persentech Inc., the Prince George Wildlife Collision Working Group, Excel Transportation Inc., Lomak Bulk Carriers Corp., Grandview Transport Ltd., Vanderhoof Ambulance Service, Vanderhoof Fire Department, YellowHead Road and Bridge, Conservation Officer Service, RCMP, and the Ministry of Transportation. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the RoadHealth Task Force provided funding for the research. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………. 1 Key Words………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………. 2 Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………… 3 Prologue…………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Chapter 1…………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Results……………………………………………………………………………………. 8 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………… 14 Conclusions and Recommendations……………………………………………………… 16 Summary……………………………………………………………………………………22 References………………………………………………………………………………… 23 Chapter 2……………………………………………………………………………………26 Chapter 3……………………………………………………………………………………30 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………30 Background…………………………………………………………………………………30 Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………33 Recommendations………………………………………………………………………… 34 Chapter 4……………………………………………………………………………………35 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………35 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………… 35 Results………………………………………………………………………………………37 References………………………………………………………………………………… 45 Chapter 5……………………………………………………………………………………46 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………46 Results and Discussion…………………………………………………………………… 47 Epilogue………………………………………………………………………………….. 52 Appendices………………………………………………………………………………. 53 3 PROLOGUE Animal-vehicle collisions result in substantial personal, environmental and economic losses. In northern British Columbia, the number of material damage claims has more than doubled over the past 10 years, with corresponding increases in human suffering and damage to the animal resource (pers. comm.; Gayle Hesee; Coordinator – BC Wildlife Collision Prevention Program). In an effort to reduce such losses, a study was commissioned by the Prince George Wildlife Collision Reduction Committee and funded by the Road Health Task Force and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. The study was designed to collate available information on collisions across northern British Columbia in an effort to determine when and where vehicle collisions with various species of animals are occurring. The main objective of the research was to use the research findings to recommend site- and species-specific countermeasures in an effort to reduce animal-vehicle collisions. The following report outlines the objectives, methods and results of this study in chapter format1. Chapter 1 presents the findings of an analysis of 10 years of ICBC wildlife collision incident data (1996-2005). The chapter focuses on using ICBC data to elucidate spatial and temporal patterns of animal-vehicle collision throughout northern BC. How collision trends vary by regions, communities and various species of animals and how these trends compare with trends from other jurisdictions in North America is discussed. Recommendations for how to better record data to facilitate future analysis and for what forms of countermeasures should be currently considered for implementation in northern BC are underscored. Chapter 2 describes how data from WARS was uploaded into a new Flexible Internet Spatial Template (FIST) which is an Open Source, Pre-Hypertext Processor (PHP) object based application that is used to rapidly deploy internet mapping web sites. The chapter explores how this tool is used to determine collision prone sections of highways from WARS data and from a mobile GPS unit (Chapter 3) so that visits to these sites can be made, an analysis of site features conducted and recommendations for site- specific countermeasures made. Chapter 3 reports on the design and use of a GPS driving companion that is being employed by volunteer truck drivers to record location, time and date data on moose and deer movements along northern BC roads. These data allow for current patterns of animal movements and collision occurrence to be recorded and used in mitigation planning efforts. Chapter 4 discusses how this GPS technology and the opinions of local experts (RCMP, MOT, highway contractors, ambulance drivers, etc.) on wildlife-vehicle collisions is being integrated and analyzed to better pinpoint current and long-term historical trends in wildlife-vehicle collision patterns. Chapter 5 provides results from a survey given to logging truck drivers in the Prince George area. The survey was designed to assess the occurrence of encounters between logging truck drivers and moose on area roads – particularly secondary logging roads. 1 Chapters of this report will be submitted by the authors for peer review. In this respect, this report represents a draft of how these chapters will appear following a peer review process. We invite comments on this draft report and ask that you send comments to the corresponding author of each chapter. 4 Chapter 1. Elucidating Temporal and Species-Specific Distinctions in Patterns of Animal-Vehicle