Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Factors Associated with Urban Deer–Vehicle Collisions

Increasing populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in urban areas have resulted in an increase in deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs). Deer–vehicle collisions represent a human–wildlife conflict of serious concern, given that they result, most notably, in significant risk to human safety, deer mortality, and costly vehicle damage. Although many communities have developed databases that track the frequency and location of DVCs, there is a need for analysis of the factors that affect DVC locations in urban areas. Data on deer movement patterns across roads in urban areas are valuable to reduce the occurrence of DVCs on existing roads and to assist planning of future urban road design and placement. Using DVC data from 2005 to 2009 provided by the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation, we found that DVCs in Winnipeg, Canada, were not spatially or temporally random, and that human-induced deer movement patterns play a role in the frequency and location of DVC occurrence. Deer–vehicle collisions occurred more frequently near suburban areas and grasslands and were clustered near where people provided food for deer. A ban on feeding deer may help reduce the frequency of DVCs