Deer-Vehicle Crash Patterns and Proposed Warning Sign Installation Guidelines

Deer crossing signs are the most widely used potential countermeasure to deer-vehicle crashes (DVCs). The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides qualitative guidance and indicates the installation of these signs where animal crossings are unexpected. Most drivers assume these signs designate roadway segments with larger than typical numbers of DVCs and/or deer crossings. Studies of deer crossing signs have generally focused on their enhancement and assumed that they are correctly located and ineffective at DVC reduction. No generally available, documented, and defensible DVC-related guidance criteria for the installation of deer crossing signs were found during this project. These signs, however, are numerous and their proper installation at locations with a DVC problem would be more consistent, use limited resources more efficiently, and maximize whatever potential impact these signs might have on drivers. The research summarized in this paper investigated DVC patterns near 38 pairs of deer crossing sign pairs in five Wisconsin counties. Three years of reported DVCs were collected and summarized for the roadway segments between and within two miles of these pairs. Overall, 1/4-mile and average segment DVC frequencies and rates were calculated between and outside each sign pair, and compared with each other and the county and state averages. Fourteen of the 38 sign pairs were further evaluated because their average and peak DVC measures were all located between the signs. The findings of this research were used to develop some general installation guidelines for deer crossing signs. The limitations of the guidelines are noted.