WTI is teaming with researchers at Marshall University and West Virginia University to identify the problematic DVC areas in the state and recommend methods that best serve to mitigate these problem areas.
The overall goal of this project was to evaluate Deer Vehicle Collision (DVC) rates in West Virginia to identify hotspots and review available mitigation techniques. Researchers reviewed police crash reports involving deer and carcass data reported by the West Virginia Department of Transportation from 2008-2012. The police crash reports were deemed the most reliable in terms of location reliability and consistency across the state. This data was used for identifying hotspots across the state based on 2- mile segment lengths. Segments identified as being “high” ranged from 13-22 reported deer-vehicle collisions (DVC) over the 5-year period, which is assumed to be lower than the actual number due to underreporting. Modeling completed as part of the project suggested that the DVC frequency was positively related to landscape diversity and urban/urbanized areas and negatively related to presence of roadside slopes exceeding 60 degrees (uphill or downhill).