HARRISBURG, Pa. — It’s a dangerous situation that could turn deadly for drivers and deer.
"Pennsylvania every year is always among the top states for wildlife-vehicle collisions," said Stephanie Wein, a clean water and conservation advocate for PennEnvironment.
2023 was no different.
PennDOT data shows more than 4,800 vehicles hit deer and more than 200 struck another type of animal resulting in damage. State Farm Insurance reports Pennsylvania saw more claims for wrecks involving wildlife than any other state last year.
"The Harrisburg area is one of the top places for animal-vehicle collisions and for deer collisions in Pennsylvania," Wein said, referencing the findings from a new state report. "That means we need to really go through what does the data show for how we can best keep these animals off our roads. How can we redirect them?"
That’s where a new state study comes in.
The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee issued a report last month identifying locations with the biggest need and detailing possible solutions.
The study was commissioned after a bi-partisan resolution in the state house last year.
"We don’t have a sort of top-down view of how we can best manage and reconnect animal populations here in Pennsylvania," Wein said. "This report is a great first step in getting us to that place."
The idea is to keep animals and drivers off of each other’s paths, redirecting wildlife to specially designed bridges or underpasses to prevent encounters, or building fences in key areas that help usher them to safer passage.
"One of the best things we can do is make sure that there are wildlife crossings in the places that make sense for the animals trying to get our cross our roads and highways," Wein said.
The report suggests lawmakers require insurance agencies to report animal-related accidents to the state and encourages the state’s departments to work together on the problem.
"This collaboration, this data collection, if we can really do that and we can put it together we’ll be taking a really good first step towards making sure that we’re keeping wildlife off our roads, keeping wildlife safe and keeping people safe," Wein said.
You can read the full report for the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee here.