Connecticut

Reducing Collisions Between Cars and Deer  

Published: March 11, 2007

Reducing Collisions Between Cars and Deer

To the Editor:

In "Escalating Hostilities Between Deer and Drivers" (Feb. 11), Kent Haydock, a spokesman for the Fairfield County Deer Management Alliance, claims that controlling the number of deer is the only way to reduce deer-vehicle accidents. He is mistaken.

The town of Millburn, N.J., used intensive hunting and other methods of deer removal (trap and transfer) over five years' time. Their deer-vehicle collision rate was not reduced during that period.

There are proven methods to reduce accidents. The use of Strieter-Lite reflectors has been effective in 11 states and can reduce collisions by 78 to 90 percent.

Ottawa successfully reduced collisions by 20 percent through a public education campaign called "Speeding Costs You Deerly." This is the type of program that should be promoted by the Fairfield County Deer Management Alliance instead of expanded hunting, which has significant public safety risks.

Lynn M. Gorfinkle
West Redding