State Farm sponsors research into wildlife collisions

New research will provide a “clearing house” of information on wildlife-vehicle collisions, an issue that costs more than $200 million per year, according to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF).

TIRF is creating a database that will summarize all available data about these collisions in Canada and look at ways to made roads safer and protect wildlife.

Eco-Kare International, an environmental company specializing in road ecology science, and State Farm will also participate in the project.

“In Canada there is no centralized data clearing house on wildlife-vehicle collisions,” explains Robyn Robertson, TIRF president and CEO. “And as we look more closely at the problem, we are seeing some reports from provincial and territorial governments and insurance companies reporting property damage and injury claims totaling in the tens of millions.”

State Farm data indicates the average property damage cost of wildlife-vehicle collisions during the final half of 2010 and the first half of 2011 was $3,171 — up 2.2% from the year before. The company also cites Transport Canada data showing that between four and eight large animal vehicle collisions take place every hour. In Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources estimates a vehicle-wild animal collision occurs every 38 minutes.