Deer, Elk Continue to Pose Major Road Hazards in Colorado
DENVER, Colo. --- In Colorado, wildlife in the road is the third leading cause of vehicle crashes, behind speeding and inattentive driving.In the southwest corner of Colorado, which includes US 160 and US 550, wildlife even ranks as the No. 1 cause of accidents, the Chaffee County Times reported. That's why the state has launched a campaign to raise public awareness of the hazard. Participants in the "Wildlife on the Move" campaign include the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Colorado State Patrol and the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.This time of year, the risk is particularly high because of migrating deer and elk. Such big-game animals travel together at this time.Between 1986 and 2004, there were 35,302 recorded incidents of vehicle collisions involving wildlife along state and interstate highways in Colorado. But that figure doesn't include the many unreported collisions. The true number could be double that figure.