Road Traffic Accidents and Deer

Deer Aware - launched September 2009

DeerAware is a programme to raise public awareness of the danger of deer on roads in the UK. Research indicates that over 42,500 and up to 74,000 deer may be involved in vehicle collisions each year in Britain. These have significant human costs and are a major animal welfare problem.

The DeerAware programme is supported by Highways Agency publicity material that is available to regional road safety initiatives targeting local deer collision “hotspots”.

This is the latest development of the UK National Deer-Vehicle Collisions Project, which was set up in 2003 by the Deer Initiative. Funded by the Highways Agency and other bodies, this study records detailed information about deer related collisions, to identify high-risk areas and key factors. Trials have been carried out to test the effectiveness of different mitigation measures. You can find more information on this project on our Deer Collisions website.

A Driver Information Programme has been produced and made freely available to raise awareness of the issue. The material contains a combination of artwork, radio adverts and website banner. The choice of different products has been chosen to allow for seasonal and regional differences.

Please visit the Highways Agency website for more information about this Programme. You can also download posters, artwork and radio clips from the same site.

Road Traffic Accidents involving deer present a major problem in the UK as well as in many other countries in Europe.

The Highways Agency and the Scottish Executive, together with the Woodland Trust, the National Forest Company and the Deer Study and Resource Centre have funded research to develop, for the first time, a stratified national system for recording information on deer related road traffic accidents occuring throughout the UK.

The main aims of the project are

• to build a National Database of Road Traffic Collisions involving deer in England, Wales and Scotland
  
• to assess factors associated with deer RTAs, and aspects of deer behaviour and management to investigate and enhance measures aimed at preventing such accidents

We continue to monitor deer vehicle collisions (DVCs) on behalf of the HA, with this work confirming the level of DVCs. This work will continue but our focus is now shifting to mitigation measures. We have established 2 trials of Ecopillars on the trunk road network (A38 Exeter and A49 Hereford). We will also be producing advice to assist the HA with future road design.

Reporting an Accident

To report a deer related road traffic accident or for more information on the project including latest news and links to press articles, please click here and you will be redirected to the website www.deercollisions.co.uk

Deer on our Roads - Counting the Cost

Visit our Downloads page to view or download a pdf of this summary report.

For further information

Please visit www.deercollisions.co.uk for further information on deer-vehicle collisions.

This page updated September 2009