Wildlife-vehicle collisions and the associated damage and economic costs that result have been increasing in recent years . Damage caused by collisions with large ungulates (deer, elk, and moose) represent substantial costs in terms of vehicle damage as well as human injury and death. In ongoing efforts to mitigate these collision-caused damages and costs, there has been significant research aimed at identifying and estimating the extent of these collision costs.

While the costs of adopting or constructing collision mitigation structures is generally easily measured, estimating the benefits of successful mitigation measures is less so. Factors necessary to understand the benefits of collision mitigation include considerations of the type of animal(s) involved in collisions, average costs associated with vehicle damage, human injury and death, as well as any lost value of the animal killed. In past studies the values associated with collision avoidance related to the injured/killed animals has been limited to easily identifiable direct use values of the animals, such as the value of the animal as hunted species. A second component of wildlife value heretofore omitted from the cost-benefit analysis of the cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures is passive use value for the animals.

This project will develop total value estimates for wildlife in a collision mitigation context. Total values include not only direct use such as hunting and viewing but also passive use values (biological conservation values).

The proposed research will focus on two specific species groups within the state of Minnesota: deer and turtles. Minnesota has been identified as a state providing a site with both widespread aquatic habitat and turtles, as well as being one of the states with the highest rate of damage from deer-vehicle collisions.