Survey of Driver Responses to the Wildlife Hazard Warning System (WildHAZ)

Author(s): Sielecki

Slidedeck Presentation Only (no paper submitted):

6C - Sielecki Survey of Driver Responses

Abstract:

Over one million wildlife-vehicle collisions occur across Canada and the United States (US) each year. These collisions cost over $1.5 billion Canadian dollars and result in hundreds of human deaths and thousands of human injuries. Conventional wildlife warning signs used by Canadian and US road authorities are static devices that typically provide drivers little context regarding the dynamic nature of wildlife hazards. The Wildlife Hazard Warning System (WildHAZ) was developed at the University of Victoria to provide drivers more comprehensive information about the dynamic aspects of wildlife hazards. The WildHAZ system uses an innovative risk matrix-based, colour-coded hazard rating system to augment conventional static wildlife warning signs. To evaluate the potential of the WildHAZ system for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, a web-based survey was conducted to determine if drivers understand the system, and if drivers would respond to the system in a way that would reduce their potential for wildlife-vehicle collisions and/or collision severity. A survey using the FluidSurveys web survey tool was developed for Canadian and US drivers. The survey collected information regarding:

1. respondent demographics,
2. respondent knowledge and past experience with deer and deer warning signs, and
3. respondent comprehension of the WildHAZ system and response to the system.

The survey target group was a combination of friends, colleagues and acquaintances, and persons who I did not know, but whose contact information was publicly available. Survey participant recruitment was conducted using a ''snowball'' sampling technique and limited to a single email invitation Five hundred and three drivers from 15 countries responded to the survey. Ninety-seven percent of the respondents were from Canada or the United States. The respondents represented a comprehensive, gender-balanced, heterogeneous range of driver types. The survey results indicate virtually all drivers would respond to the WildHAZ system and take steps such as watching for wildlife and slowing down, if they were provided with wildlife hazard risk levels. Over 90% of the survey respondents indicated they would like a system like WildHAZ to be used on roads and highways that they are unfamiliar with. The survey results suggest drivers in Canada and the United States would understand the fundamentals of the WildHAZ system and virtually all drivers would respond to the system in a manner that should reduce their potential for a wildlife-vehicle collision and/or reduce the potential severity of such collisions. Augmenting the existing infrastructure of wildlife warning signs with the WildHAZ system could lead to increased driver attention to wildlife, and fewer and less severe wildlife-vehicle collisions. The Wildlife Hazard Warning System (WildHAZ) represents an opportunity for Canadian and US road authorities to dynamically augment static wildlife warning signs. Before widespread implementation of the WildHAZ system is considered, field testing of the system by a road authority should be conducted. A targeted public education campaign would be necessary to inform drivers of the WildHAZ system prior to field testing the system in any jurisdiction. The WildHAZ system could be incorporated into web-based, real-time driver information systems and apps provided by road authorities.