Ungulate vehicle collisions in a peri-urban environment: consequences of transportation infrastructures planned assuming the absence of ungulates.

Zuberogoitia, Iñigo; del Real, Javier; Torres, Juan José; Rodríguez, Luis; Alonso, María; Zabala, Jabi · 2014 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107713

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Summary

This study investigates the factors contributing to ungulate vehicle collisions (UVC) in a peri-urban environment where transportation infrastructure was originally designed without consideration for wildlife. The research addresses a critical gap: while ungulate populations (specifically Roe Deer and Wild Boars) in Bizkaia, Spain, have expanded significantly over the last two decades, the existing road network lacks adequate mitigation structures like fences or culverts. The authors aim to identify environmental and traffic variables that predict collision risk to inform future infrastructure adaptation and mitigation strategies. The researchers analyzed 388 recorded collisions (235 Roe Deer and 153 Wild Boar) between January 2008 and December 2011. They selected 289 sample points, comprising 87 Roe Deer collision sites, 60 Wild Boar collision sites, and 142 control sites with no recorded accidents, ensuring a minimum separation of 500 meters to avoid pseudo-replication. For each point, they measured 19 variables categorized into habitat structure, topography, and road factors within 500-meter buffers. Statistical analysis included Chi-square tests for temporal patterns, Mann-Whitney tests for univariate comparisons, and Generalized Linear Models (GLM) to determine the predictive power of specific variables on collision likelihood. The results revealed distinct temporal and spatial patterns. Roe Deer collisions peaked in spring and summer months, whereas Wild Boar collisions were more frequent on weekends. Both species were significantly more likely to collide with vehicles on roads with higher sinuosity, greater vehicle velocity, and increased traffic volume. Habitat analysis showed that Roe Deer collisions were positively associated with exotic timber plantations and proximity to buildings, while Wild Boar collisions correlated with open fields and the presence of fences. Notably, major highways with higher speeds and traffic volumes caused more accidents than secondary roads. The GLM models confirmed that road sinuosity, velocity, shrub cover, fence presence, and distance to buildings were key predictors for general UVC, while timber forest area and distance to buildings specifically predicted Roe Deer collisions. The study concludes that the current road infrastructure in Bizkaia is ill-suited for the expanded ungulate populations, leading to high collision frequencies. The findings highlight that high-speed, high-traffic roads pose the greatest risk, particularly where habitat fragmentation forces wildlife into conflict with vehicles. The authors argue that these results necessitate a new strategy for adapting transportation infrastructure, emphasizing the need for targeted mitigation measures such as improved fencing and wildlife crossings to reduce road mortality and enhance safety in peri-urban environments.

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• urban rural setting