A descriptive analysis of Deer-vehicle collisions along Missouri interstate highways

Abstract

A total of 3,639 deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) were reported on Missouri roadways in 2020, resulting in 348 injuries and 5 deaths. Of these accidents, 490 (13.5%) occurred along 1,200 miles of interstates. Although fewer in number, interstate crashes are more serious than others, often causing bodily injury and property damage. This descriptive study investigated DVCs on Missouri interstates using aerial photographs and street-side images on Google Maps to assess adjacent land use characteristics and determine the presence of corridors, if any, at each location. Of the DVC sites, 449 (91.6%) were near a natural corridor (n = 212, 47.2%), an artificial corridor (n = 139, 31.0%), or a combination of both (n = 98, 21.8%). Some examples of natural corridors included vegetation, water, and dry creeks. Artificial corridors consisted of secondary roads, fence rows, public utilities, and overpasses. The average distance from the DVC to the nearest corridor was 107.0 m. Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between the types of corridors (p < 0.05), yet Duncan's multiple range test showed only one homogeneous subset. Most interstates bisected natural corridors, but over a third (38.8%) of them had trees on one side or the other, not both. The influence of half and artificial corridors is an important finding in this study, one that has not been reported in the literature. Results can be useful for transportation officials to warn motorists when the risk of DVCs is greatest on Missouri interstates.